Posted on 03/08/2017 7:47:40 PM PST by nickcarraway
Assemblyman Evan Low on Tuesday introduced a constitutional amendment that aims to lower California's voting age to 17.
Now, state lawmakers are grappling with questions about the maturity of 17 year olds and how much it would cost to make such a change.
Seventeen year olds can drive and preregister to vote in California. But if Low's amendment passes, they will also have a say in who is elected president.
In the November election, only 7 percent of Santa Clara County's young people took to the polls. Low believes that if teens are able to start voting at 17, they’ll be more likely to keep voting through their 20s.
"Lowering the voting age will give a voice to young people and provide a tool for them, rather than being complacent," he said.
Such a move has the potential to kick-start a lifelong habit of voting, but the change may require an investment.
It "potentially could be a cost to the state to allow for more production of ballots and the cost of increasing the pool of electorate," Low said, but didn't estimate how much the change would cost.
"We always want as many as eligible voters to be registered as possible," he said.
Anita Torres with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters didn’t back Low’s proposal, but called it an opportunity to increase high school education programs that are already in place.
"If the law does change and allows 17 year olds to vote, we'd love them to register the minute they turn 17," Torres said.
Some voters in San Jose welcome the change.
"All around, I think it’s a great idea," Eric Maxwell said.
While others questioned if 17 is old enough to fully understand the complexities of an election.
"It needs to be a little older," Jim Stameson said. "I’m concerned whether people understand all the issues like they should."
If the state legislature were to approve the change, voters — 18 and older — will determine its final outcome.
Kalifornia is America’s largest tumor.
Nope — raise the voting age nationally to 35, except for military veterans.
If anything it needs to be raised.
in california, kids don’t even know how to read at 17. Guess that’s the point of letting them vote.
HAHAHA -— Our great overrun state must have MANY prospective voters (legal and illegal) in that age window...in fact, just look at every high school.
Stinking RATS.
So, exactly how mature do these state legislators really see 17-year-old people?
Voting age should be returned to age 21.
Anyone that has a job, gets paid, and has taxes deducted....ought to have a vote. No taxation without representation should be the standard.
If People can stay on their Parent’s Health Insurance until they are 26 Years Old the Voting Age should be raised to 26.
I think I saw this many years ago in a drive-in movie.
“Wild in the Streets,” still a Roger Corman classic.
“Voting age should be returned to age 21.”
I agree with 21 for voting. Let me drink at 18 if a tradeoff is needed.
agree. Seriously you can’t drink beer,but this idiot thinks you can vote!!!
How about raising the age to those who pay bills, taxes, and understand life a little better , instead of high school kids/
I started working at age 16 and paid taxes though very little and that was many many years ago, I definitely wasn’t informed enough to vote.
In California, they would be best off if 2-year-olds could vote. Among other things,they might have more problem with abortion than the leftist libertines who call the shots now.
What needs to be addressed is the maturity of Californians.
Why not 5? After all, that’s when the indoctrination gets rolling.
If 17 year olds are allowed to vote they should also be allowed to buy cigarettes and alcohol.
.
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