As thousands of students walk out of classrooms and onto the streets in protest, young people across the country are politically mobilizing.
“So many kids are rising up, and they’re demanding change,” said Daviana Soberanis, a junior at Northside College Prep who is a field organizing chair and board member of Vote16 Illinois. “Kids especially want to have their voices heard.”
The constitution also requires that voting laws be consistent across the state. Vote16 Illinois is working with lawmakers to introduce legislation next year to modify the constitution to allow municipalities with more than 25,000 people—making them governed by home rule—to lower the voting age.
When it comes to the intellectual capacity of teenagers, researchers describe two types of cognitive abilities recognized by psychologists: “cold” and “hot.”
Many college students have to either quickly familiarize themselves with the voting process in a new city or state or navigate absentee voting back home. College students could see their financial aid status change depending on where they are registered. If they vote absentee, that could hurt their efforts to get in-state tuition, for example.
