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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Do scientists think 16 year-olds are too young to vote?

By Allegra Taylor
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NO

Young adults possess adequate decision-making skills and political knowledge by age 16 to be entrusted with the right to vote, researchers say.

Decision-making skills under stress don’t fully develop until their 20s, but psychologists say that in “cold cognition” situations that allow for thoughtful decision-making and consultation, 16-year-olds are often as mature as adults. Psychology professor Daniel Hart finds the average 16-year-old has about the same level of political knowledge as the average 18- or 19-year-old. In Austria, where 16-year-olds can vote in all elections, a study of voting choices between younger and older generations found no evidence that voters under 18 made decisions "in any way of lesser quality."

A handful of U.S. cities have opened local elections to ages 16 and up. San Francisco voters are being asked to approve the step in November.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
National Library of Medicine: Electoral Studies - Turnout and quality of vote choice among 16 year-old voters
American Academy of Political and Social Science: Voting for teens under 18
New Scientist: Let science decide the voting age
PBS: Should 16 year-olds be allowed to vote?
The Hill: San Francisco considers changing local voting age to 16
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.