The Washington Post
September 05, 2012

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Debate began in Argentina's senate Wednesday on a proposal to lower the voting age from 18 to 16, while another battle heated up over efforts to bring politics into the public schools.

Sen. Anibal Fernandez, who is sponsoring the voting measure, said it's "stupid" to think 16-year-olds aren't mature enough to vote. A hundred years ago, Argentina set the voting age at 18, and Fernandez argued to his fellow senators that people have advanced enough since then to lower the age by two years.

Sen. Gerardo Morales, who leads the senate's largest opposition party, the Radicals, said his bloc is "clearly in favor of expanding rights" and will support the measure, which is now destined for congressional approval in October.

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