A New Jersey city is giving 16- and 17-year-olds the chance to use their voice in school board elections.
On Wednesday, the Newark City Council unanimously approved a City Council vote to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in upcoming school board elections.
Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said he supported the ordinance, saying “democracy is stronger when more people participate.”
“I'm very proud to see Newark taking the lead on this issue,” Baraka said. press release. “Democracy is stronger the more people participate, and it's a great idea to involve young people with so much at stake. Our elections will be revitalized and school boards will benefit too. Let’s go.”
Teens and Democrats continue to push to lower voting age to 16
More than 200 school boards have joined the lawsuit, alleging that social media platforms have caused an unprecedented youth mental health crisis. (Brittany Murray/Media News Group/Long Beach Press Telegram via Getty Images)
On March 9, 2023 in downtown Newark, New Jersey, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka joins the public to unveil the new Harriet Tubman monument. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
Newark became the largest U.S. municipality to extend voting rights to young people since 1971, when the national voting age was lowered to 18.
Expanding voting rights would affect more than 7,000 teens ages 16 and 17 in the state's largest city.
Harvard University accused of violating Jewish students' civil rights and allowing a 'cancer of anti-Semitism' to grow on campus
“From the oppression of learning the truth about race and racism to gun safety and more, our 16- and 17-year-olds have been so directly impacted by school board policies. “And yet they don't have any meaningful say in who makes those decisions,” said Ryan Haygood, president and CEO of the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. said in a press release.
“They will soon do so. This historic ordinance will allow more than 7,000 16- and 17-year-olds, 90% of whom are black and brown, to have their say at the ballot box. '' Haygood said.
On Election Day, November 2, 2021, voters cast their votes at polling locations in Newark. (Reuters)
The move to allow teenagers to vote in school board elections comes after only 3% of eligible participants turned out to vote in Newark's last school board election.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This ordinance is good for young people, it's good for Newark, it's good for New Jersey,” said Newark City Council President LaMonica McIver, the ordinance's sponsor. “We are grateful to Mayor Barakan.” [the] Please join me in defending this important ordinance and I look forward to its passage. ”
