Youth Voice! Youth Vote?

This week’s post focuses on new legislation that has been introduced in DC Council to reduce the eligible voting age in the District to 16 years of age. We hope that this blog will start a discussion among DCAYA members and youth in the community about what it would take for the District to successfully engage our most vulnerable young people as voters in our local elections in 2016  if this legislation is signed into law. What do you think? Share your thoughts with @DCAYA on Twitter with the hashtag #DCYouthVote to join the local conversation, or use #16toVote to join the national one.

Access to voting rights has long been a unifying issue for the residents of DC, who are required to pay federal income tax but cannot elect a voting member to the United States Congress. “Taxation Without Representation,” according to our standard license plate slogan since 2000.

While we don’t expect a solution to our long standing federal predicament anytime soon, last month, DC Councilmembers Charles Allen, David Grosso and Brianne Nadeau, introduced a bill that would at least broaden local voting rights to more of our residents in municipal elections. The Youth Vote Amendment Act of 2015 would lower the eligible voting age in the District to 16, effectively widening the pool of eligible voters by some 10,500 DC residents under 18.