Professor Nate Persily weighs in on possible arguments against a resolution being proposed in Washington, D.C. to lower the voting age to 16 for The Washington Post.

The District has legalized marijuana. Its city council is poised to give new parents 16 weeks of paid leave. And before lawmakers seal the deal on that progressive plan, a trio of council members on Tuesday introduced another idea that could make waves nationally: letting 16-year-olds vote.

It’s not unheard of. Sixteen-year-olds have been allowed to vote in municipal elections for two years in Takoma Park, Md., a liberal suburb of the District. And in San Francisco, lawmakers are eyeing a voter referendum next year to decide on lowering the voting age for local and state elections.

…

Persily said the legal argument against allowing younger residents to vote could be tenuous. Opponents, he said, would have to show that allowing younger residents would dilute the voting power of older residents. “That could be difficult,” he said.