Students Should Get a Say in Their Education — Now They Can
16 and 17-year old students in Berkeley and Oakland are, for the first time, eligible to vote in their districts’ school board elections. This historic change is due to youth activists who have been fighting to lower the voting age for years. The measure first passed in Berkeley in 2016 and in Oakland in 2020, but this election will be the first time these young activists are able to vote and take charge of their education. This is part of a wider movement across the United States to lower the voting age from 18. In order to take part in the November 2024 election, 16 and 17-year-old students must ensure they have used the California voter preregistration system to register as a youth voter.
Students are the ones who are most affected by school board policies. They should thus have a say in who is making these decisions for them. Young students have always been acutely aware of their disenfranchisement when it comes to representatives and policies that impact them. There are many reasons why the voting age should be lowered to 16, and this is a great start. Voting is a habit, and it is best to develop this habit which is so important to the health of our democracy as young as possible. 16 and 17-year-olds are also more well educated about civic issues than one may think, as that is the age at which many high school students take government and civics classes. High school students are already making big decisions that will impact the rest of their life regarding where they go to college and what they study, it is only right that they are enfranchised to make other big decisions about their education.
Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle
Teens aged 16 and 17 can now vote in school board elections in these Bay Area cities
By Carolyn Stein | SF Chronicle | August 8th, 2024