By JULIA BAUM | jbaum@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group

Assemblyman Evan Low, one of California’s youngest lawmakers, stopped by his alma mater Leland High School last week to bring his message that youths need to become more politically engaged. Low, D-Campbell, was 31 when elected three years ago. He and several other Assembly members tried but failed recently to gain support for a state constitutional amendment allowing 17-year-olds to vote in local and state elections.

Civics classes — where high school students learn about the three branches of government — end with a cumulative exam, but the real test for politically-minded young people comes when they cast their first vote. High schoolers are reminded to register for these classes, but many students are still 17, and therefore, too young to vote. At 18, many teens are going off to college, which often means a change in address or even home state, making voter registration difficult and confusing.