With Iowa and New Hampshire completing their traditional rite to hold the first primary and caucus in the country, the nation now waits with baited breath for the 5th of February to roll around. Super Duper Tuesday, as it has been dubbed by mass-media, will be an opportunity for more than 20 states to all hold their elections on the same day. This historically unprecedented election day holds the interest of many Americans as the gaps between candidates will inevitable widen towards identifying who will receive their party's nomination.
But what does this mean for young voters? Youth are potentially the most sought after voting block because of the real potential that if young people are motivated to get out to the polls, they most likely will encourage their parents and friends to do likewise. This fact is demonstrated through massive media campaigns attempting to make voting look hip and fashionable.
Student and youth advocates, however, are taking it a step further by pushing for leniency and policy changes that would allow 17-year-olds, who will be 18 by November 4, 2008, the ability to cast a vote in their respective State's primaries elections. Most notably, States such as, Maryland, Virginia, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, California, North Dakota to name a few, have either allowed 17-year-olds to vote, or are reviewing legislation that could potentially allow this to happen.
This could have an outstanding ripple effect engaging a demographic that has generally sat dormant and apathetic to the political discourse taking place around them. Allowing 17-year-olds the ability to cast informed votes would enable high school students to participate in a mechanism that will ultimately make decision that will directly affect their lives. This is a great opportunity for our educational system- it would mean that students could, potentially, leave their government or social studies classrooms and heading directly to polling booths.
It is interesting that in a country where approximately 80 million eligible voters do not practice their right to vote, in 2006 one youth advocate was accused of voter fraud for voting when he was 17. Hoping to instigate a conversation about the limitations of the existing voting age, set at 18, Jesse Hunter entered his polling place fully expecting to be turned away. He provided accurate information to the registrar, who allowed him in to cast his vote. This obvious clerical oversight subsequently led to the teen being charged in the felony of voting fraud! This Author is unaware of the outcome of the case. While this is an extreme case, lessons can and should be learned. What can we take from this instance?
The idea of youth engaging in the electoral processes is particularly applicable to faith groups. In order to engage our younger constituents in the work of faith-based institutions we must be relevant in their lives. Mobilizing youth groups to understand the electoral process, channeling their energy and creativity to host Get-Out-The-Vote campaigns, or in this case, advocating for additional access to the electoral process for 17-year-olds, ensures that we are empowering future generations to understand that their votes mean something.
Find out more:
• Fosters Daily Democrat: Bill would allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary, Article Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080123/GJNEWS_01/676873392
• The Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. lawmakers push to give primary vote to 17-year-olds, Tuesday, January 22, 2008 http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20080122_Pa__lawmakers_push_to_give_primary_vote_to_17-year-olds.html
• Washington Post: One Teen's Campaign to restore voting rights, Monday, January 21, 2008 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/20/AR2008012002366.html?sub=new
• The State: Rocking the vote, Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 http://www.thestate.com/presidential-politics/story/293548.html
• Topix: ND Republican Party to allow 17-year-old's to vote in the Feb 5th Caucus, Tuesday, January 15, 2008 http://www.topix.com/state/nd/2008/01/nd-republican-party-to-allow-17-year-olds-to-vote-in-feb-5th-caucus
• National Youth Rights Association, Polling officials allowed 17-year-old to vote, October 10, 2006 http://blog.youthrights.org/2006/10/10/polling-officials-allowed-17-year-old-to-vote/
the right to vote
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