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.
About one-third of registered voters ages 18 to 24 cast a ballot in the 2016 primary election, according to the California Civic Engagement Project, and that turnout was 23 percentage points better than in the previous primary. Youths 16 and 17 years old can already pre-register to vote in California but Low said many feel too disconnected from the political dialogue shaping their world to take any action.
