Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has introduced an amendment that would lower the voting age to 16-years-old.
The federal election voting age is currently at 18, but Pressley’s amendment would allow teens as young as 16 to cast their ballots in federal elections. In several states, including Massachusetts, teens 16-years-old and older can pre-register to vote.
"Across this nation, young people are leading the way – from gun violence, to climate change, to the future of work – they are organizing, mobilizing, and calling us to action," Pressley said in a statement.
PHOTOS: U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley
The congresswoman says her proposal, dubbed the For the People Act, will "strengthen" democracy in the U.S. If the amendment passes, it would be effective in the 2020 presidential election and any years following. It would not include underage teens’ votes in state and local elections.
"Our young people are at the forefront of some of the most existential crises facing our communities and our society at large,” she said in a statement."
