Lower The Age Requirement For Elected Office To 18

We should lower the minimum age requirement for serving in elected office. Currently, the requirement is 25 for the House of Representatives, 30 for the Senate, and 35 for the President of the United States. I say we knock it down to 18 across the board. 

Let’s look at some numbers:

According to this, 18-29 year olds had the lowest voter turnout percentage by far at 35.6. That’s actually up drastically from 19.9 in 2014 but it’s still abysmal. However, this is also the only group where half of the age range doesn’t even qualify for elected office.

The two age groups with the highest turnout percentage are 45-64 year olds at 59.5 and 65+ year olds at 66.1. These are the two groups which are exclusively able to vote for their peers. We see that reflected in the average age of those serving in the House and Senate—57.8 years old in the House and 61.8 years old in the Senate. 

Now, I know correlation does not equal causation but it seems pretty logical to me that you are more likely to vote when the people running for office actually represent you and take you seriously rather than belittling your brunch food choices and accusing your generation of killing everything. (I know this age group isn’t even all millennials anymore but let’s be honest, people use millennial to mean young people they don’t like.)

Here’s a fun fact for you, the original proposed age requirement for the House of Representatives was actually 21, the same age as the voting age. From the House of Representatives historical site: 

The founders initially set 21, the voting age, as the minimum age to serve in the House. During the Federal Constitutional Convention, though, George Mason of Virginia moved to make the age 25. Mason said that there should be a period between being free to manage one’s own affairs and managing the “affairs of a great nation.” Convention Delegate James Wilson of Pennsylvania objected to the suggestion that any further restrictions be placed on House membership, and cited the service of William Pitt as a counterexample. Pitt, who held office at the time of the Convention, was the youngest prime minister in British history at the age of 24. Nevertheless, Mason’s amendment passed seven states to three.

So yeah, shout out to George Mason for his namesake’s university making it to the Final Four in 2006—that was the only year I won our family’s NCAA bracket pool and it was only because everyone’s brackets got so infernally wrecked—but also screw that guy. 

At least when things first got started there were only four years of being old enough to vote without being old enough to be elected (and that was only for the House). Then the voting age got lowered to 18, but the minimum age requirements stayed the same. That’s kind of messed up. Let’s look at that.

The voting age was lowered to 18 in 1971 via the Twenty-Sixth Amendment. One of the primary arguments in favor of lowering the voting age was the belief that if you are old enough to fight in a war, you should be old enough to vote for the elected officials who determine if the country goes to war. I am simply submitting that you should also be able to run for office and become one of the elected officials determining if the country goes to war. 

Alright, I know I’m already out on a limb here so now I’m going to stretch out onto the sad little twig at the end of that branch: One of the foundational principles of the American Revolution was no taxation without representation. Americans in the age range 18-24 are not allowed to hold elected office and are therefore being subjected to taxation without representation. Either 18-24 year olds should be allowed to hold office or they should not be taxed. 

Yes I know I just took this Mediocre Opinion from Warm Oatmeal level to Ark of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark level, but I don’t regret it. 

But If 18-24 Year Olds Are Able To Hold Office It Will Become A Popularity Contest And They’ll Elect Youtubers and TikTok Celebrities!

Really? 

Good.

The most dominant professions represented in Congress are public service (career politicians), business, and law. We could use some diversity in whatever form that takes. 

Plus, successful Youtubers and TikTok celebs have shown constant creativity by pioneering new mediums, embracing change, and leaning into innovation. They also show an innate ability to connect with their audience (constituents?). So I’m all for it.

But But But Those Kids, With Their Recreational Drug Use And Free Sexuality Are So Scandalous!

Then they’ll fit right in. 

At least now when they have affairs with interns the relationships will be age appropriate.