WESTBOROUGH VOTES 16

Lowering the Local Voting Age to 16 in Westborough

Article No. 32 – March 2026 Town Meeting

ABOUT

State approval is required to grant local voting rights to 16 and 17 year old Westborough citizens
16 and 17 year olds must meet all other voting requirements
Does NOT change who can run for office.
Does NOT impact state or federal elections.

LOCAL ISSUES IMPACT YOUNG PEOPLE

Students are directly affected by school budgets, programming, and elections. We have unique insight into the consequences of funding decisions. Town meeting shapes class sizes, course offerings, and student support.

16 and 17 year olds have insight into town infrastructure decisions. Sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, and road safety directly affect how young residents travel to school, work, and town activities.

Youth residents are common users of the library and recreation. Everything from library events, to the new community center, to playgrounds and parks benefit from youth representation and experience.

Public health and safety initiatives often target students. 16 and 17 year olds’ voices help community funding stay relevant.

VOTING EARLY BUILDS POSITIVE, LIFELONG CIVIC HABITS

This is about building consistent participation in adulthood, not only short-term youth voter turnout.

Voting and civic engagement is a learned habit—research shows that people who vote early are more likely to continue voting.
Starting the civic engagement process early, before students are away at college, ensures that students have access to civics education, community ties, and a stable residence, while this habit is being formed.
Local elections are a perfect high impact entry point.

16 & 17 YEAR OLDS ARE READY AND MATURE

16 and 17 year olds already have adult-level responsibilities. We work, pay taxes, drive, volunteer, and can be tried as an adult for serious crimes.

Research also shows that 16 and 17 year olds have near identical cognitive capacities and psychosocial maturity to the 18-25 age range.⁷

Studies demonstrate that 16 year olds “know as much about the American political system as do many young adults… the average score for 16-year-olds is higher than the averages for civic knowledge for 19-,21-, and 23-year olds, all of whom are entitled to vote."⁶

PRESENTATIONS & MATERIALS

Presentation for Town Meeting v5.1
Select Board Presentation 2/11/26
Town Meeting Warrant – Draft V5 (Article 32)
Bibliography (for presentations and site)

FAQs

16 and 17 year olds don’t pay property taxes: Can they be fiscally responsible with their vote?

67% of college students pay fully for their own education, showing 16 and 17 year olds are already managing significant financial responsibility.¹⁰

While 16 and 17 year olds don’t pay town property taxes, many have jobs where they experience income tax and payroll deductions → both of which give insight into fiscal responsibility.

Will 16 and 17 year olds just vote with their parents?

Research shows that lowering the voting age does not increase parental influence on young people’s political views.²

In Scotland, where 16 and 17 year olds vote in all elections, only 58% reported the same position on a political issue as their parents.¹

Studies find that adolescents ages 14–17 demonstrate the same ability as adults to vote in line with their own preferences.³

Will 16 and 17 year olds take voting seriously?

Research from Austria finds that 16‑ and 17‑year‑old voters participate at similar or higher turnout levels compared with older first‑time voters, suggesting strong engagement not poor motivation.⁴

Austrian evidence shows that under‑18s’ votes reflect their own preferences and are of equal quality to those of older voters.5
Data from a study in Germany shows that when 14-17 year olds did make decisive voting decisions, “their voting quality was comparable to that of their parents.”3

Why should voting start at sixteen? Isn't this a slippery slope?

Evidence supports 16 — not younger ages.

While psychosocial maturity continues to advance into adulthood, cold cognition (the primary skills involved in voting)⁸ stabilize in the 16-17 age range.⁹

Sixteen is also a recognized legal threshold. At 16, individuals can work with far fewer restrictions, drive, pay taxes, and more. The proposal aligns voting with an existing, well-established age standard.

Why is a Home Rule Petition necessary? What is the process?

Massachusetts law gives cities and towns the authority to change local election rules only with state approval. Lowering the municipal voting age requires this approval.

A Home Rule Petition is the formal request a town submits to the state legislature to allow a local change that otherwise requires state authorization.

Home Rule Petition Process: