Voting Rights for High School Seniors

#. Voting Rights for High School Seniors

 

A big change has happened in Korean elections.

From this year, many high school seniors will have the right to vote.

In December 2019, the National Assembly made a new law to change the voting age.

Prior to the new law, voters had to be 19 years old to cast a ballot.

From this year, however, the minimum age to vote was lowered to 18.

This change will add over 500,000 new voters this year.

They will include many high school seniors whose 18th birthday falls before an election day.

Previously, most teens became voters only after graduating from high school.

Now, high schools nationwide are preparing these new voters for their new responsibilities.

Also, teachers are receiving training on how to handle political topics in the classroom.

Many Koreans support this lowering of the voting age.

They say 18-year-olds are treated as adults in many ways.

So, it is right that they participate in elections, too.

Others, however, say that the voting age should have stayed the same.

They think high school seniors are too young to be involved in politics.

 

• the National Assembly (한국 등의) 국회,국민 의회

• ballot 무기명[비밀] 투표 / 무기명[비밀] 투표를 실시하다 (=poll)

• birthday falls 생일이 다가오다

• nationwide ˌneɪʃnˈwaɪd 전국적인

• be involved in ~에 개입되다, 관계되다 be involved in intrigue ɪnˈtriːɡ 음모에 관련되다