Naava Ellenberg is a graduate of Lincoln High School who is attending Barnard College. She wrote this for The Mercury News.
Many 18-year-olds are registered for their first semester of college classes, but very few of them are registered to vote. As adults in a democracy, young people have this great privilege and responsibility, yet very few take advantage of the opportunity. Their disregard is not the result of indifference or immaturity, but of an overwhelming amount of new responsibilities.
Most 18-year-olds are transitioning to college or the workforce. Their email inboxes are filled with reminders to select classes, meal plans, and housing. Because many are trying to acquire jobs and money to pay rent, registering to vote is not a priority.
As a result, youth voters in California have the lowest turnout rate of any age demographic. If young voters don’t turn out, it can mean their issues and priorities will be ignored by elected officials and they will never establish a habit of voting that would carry on into adulthood.
Voter turnout is not just low among young people. While 75.27 percent of Californians voted in the 2016 election, a mere 42 percent voted in the 2014 midterm elections. Increasing voter turnout must be a priority because when more people vote, our elected officials and the bills passed more accurately represent the citizens.
One solution to the problem of low voter turnout is lowering the voting age. Doing so would begin the habit of voting at a more stable time in a young person’s life and lead to a much higher voter turnout rate in California.
Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 (ACA 10) is a bipartisan constitutional amendment, authored by Assemblyman Evan Low that would lower the voting age from 18 to 17 in California. This may seem like a minor shift, but it would be pivotal in youth turnout for elections. Additionally, it would increase overall voter turnout in the long term as these engaged youth continue to vote in all future elections.
At 17, most teens are taking a civics class in school, yet they are unable to play a role in the subjects they are studying. ACA 10’s enactment would allow students to become active participants in the legislative process they are studying. Teachers could encourage voter registration, schools could be polling locations on election day, and voting will become as much of a senior class tradition as homecoming and pep rallies.
Research has shown that the greatest indicator of whether or not someone will vote in an election is whether they voted in the last one. By passing ACA 10 and actively encouraging 17-year-olds to register and vote, voter turnout is likely to increase. After that first vote is cast at 17, a habit will be formed, and those who voted will then be more likely to vote in the next election. ACA 10 will catch youth at a time when they are still connected to their school, their home, and their community, rather than expecting their first ballot to be cast at a time when their lives are in transition.
The age of 18 will always be the time of class registration, a new place to live, and finding a job. Let 17 be the time to vote and support the passage of ACA 10.
