Is our democracy truly representative if large portions of our population consistently fail to make their voices heard at the polls? 18-24 year olds consistently turn out to vote at the lowest levels of any age group, and yet these are the voters who will live the longest with the policy decisions being made today: how can we improve voter turnout and civic engagement in the next generation to ensure our democracy is truly "by the people and for the people?" To answer this question, we must turn to another group whose voices are not heard at the ballot box, but for different reasons: 16- and 17-year-olds. Millions of 16- and 17-year-olds are tax-paying citizens; they demonstrate similar levels of civic knowledge and efficacy as 18-year-olds, and they are all enrolled in compulsory civic education courses which urge them to take informed action as citizens of the world. It comes to this: there is no valid reason to deny 16- and 17-year-olds the franchise, and extending voting rights to them would not only rectify this disenfranchisement, it would also increase the participation of young voters as a whole, fulfilling the promise that our nation is democratic and equitable. I am a graduating senior in the College of Education and Human Development, and I have a passion for increasing the stock of informed, justice-oriented citizens willing and eager to advocate for social justice and equity within our democracy. As a prospective middle/high school social studies teacher, it is my mission to spark curiosity and engagement in the students of the world, invigorating the next generation to take agency over their future. I currently student teach in the Toledo Public School system and serve as the Internal Affairs Chair of BGSU's Undergraduate Student Government. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx