Takoma Park, Md. has given its 16- and 17-year-olds what every teen wants: The right to vote in local elections!
The city charter amendment passed Monday in a 6 to 1 vote. The Gazette has the story:
The voting age amendment brought out young residents to an April 8 public hearing where they cited their readiness and eagerness to participate in the city’s elections.
Other residents argued, however, that the teenagers lacked the maturity and experience to handle the responsibility and that they would be easily influenced by their parents.
Before he voted in support of the charter amendments, Mayor Bruce Williams said that, while he originally had not been convinced the change was a good one, he agreed with the argument that lowering the voting age could help residents establish a lifelong habit of voting.
Takoma Park is the first city in the U.S. to grant people younger than 18 the right to vote. The city, located just outside D.C. in Montgomery County, had an estimated population of 16,715 in 2010, according to the Census Bureau. Of this, just over 22 percent of residents are under the age of 18.
The National Youth Rights Association, which advocates for lowering the the voting age to 16 nationally, released a statement, saying, “Takoma Park is leading the way to a brighter and more democratic future.”
