Senator Stern Introduces SCA 2 To Extend Voting Rights to 17 Year Olds

SACRAMENTO –“The question is, how much faith do we have in our young people?” said Senator Stern as he introduced SCA 2 to extend the right to vote to all Californian citizens one year earlier than every other state. Stern added “If we can ask 17 year olds to join our military, and allow 16 year olds to drive a car, then we must surely trust them to vote.” 21

Young voters (ages 18-24 years old) in the state have the lowest turnout rate of any age demographic.This legislation will help close that gap, by building civic habits while students still have connection to their hometowns. In the 2022 general election, voters under 35 represented 27% of eligible voters and only15% of ballots cast. The low turnout of young voters is partly due to the fact that they enter voting eligibility at a time of drastic transition; many 18-year-olds are graduating from high school, going to college, or getting a job. Lowering the voting age to 17 will catch youth at a time when they are still connected to their school, their home, and their community, as well as helping to build a lifelong habit of voting.

"Young Californians are more driven than ever to give back to their communities, but the challenging,rapid transition into young adulthood can push voting out of the picture for many crucial years of their lives. SCA 2 will encourage youth to cast their first ballot within their local school district, city, state, etc.where they can make informed choices and build upon existing connections with their home communities,fostering healthy voter habits and lifelong active citizenship” says Esther Kim, Governmental Affairs Policy Director of the The California Association of Student Councils (CASC) who is a cosponsor to this legislation. CASC is a student-run nonprofit established by the Board of Education to advocate for the student voice in governance.

Research demonstrates that the earlier that someone begins the habit of voting, the more likely they are to continue voting throughout their lifetime. “California’s electoral system is still challenging for many youth to access,” says Mindy Romero, Director at the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy . “Our findings suggest that increasing youth voter registration rates does not alone automatically translate into increased representation for youth at the polls,” Romero said. “Youth need education and outreach, particularly for those from resource-poor communities, to help them learn about and find relevance in the act of voting itself.” By allowing first time voting to happen while young adults are still directly in touch with teachers, mentors, and their families, we combat this major hurdle.

Furthermore, a robust body of evidence demonstrates that 16- and 17-year-olds have the necessary cognitive skills and civic knowledge to vote responsibly. As a result, there has been a nationwide movement to engage youth earlier in the electoral process. Twenty two states and the District of Columbia permit 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections or caucuses if the voter turns 18 before the general election.

California’s Proposition 18 (2020), approved by the legislature through ACA 4, would have permitted 17year olds who would turn 18 by Election Day to vote in all California primary elections. This measure failed by just over 6 percentage points which can partially be attributed to poor timing due to the severity of the pandemic. Senator Stern argues that “it is undeniable that the problems our state has faced over the last three years have matured our youth. The challenges they meet upon their entrance to adulthood are more pressing now than ever with rising gun violence rates, climate change looming, student debt increasing,civil rights movements mobilizing, the ongoing pandemic, and a host of other issues that disproportionately impact disenfranchised young people. We must seize the chance to offer them a well deserved opportunity to activate their voices on issues they did not create but are soon to inherit.”

The passage of SCA 2 would allow California to pave the way toward a stronger democracy and help heal generational wounds that have negatively impacted equitable voting. As of May 2022, 21.9 million of California’s 26.9 million eligible adults (82%) were registered to vote. This is six percent higher than just 4 years before. However, about six in ten unregistered adults in the state are Latino. A growing body of political science research concludes that one of the primary determining factors in whether someone becomes a lifelong voter is whether their parents voted. This hereditary habit of voting has been historically inhibited for many minority groups, and those effects can still be seen in turnout today.

By increasing younger voters' engagement in the political process, and availability of resources when one first casts their ballot, we can expect the same civic mindedness to trickle up and influence friends and family to follow suit. Lowering the voting age not only will bring younger voters into the electoral process, but will also have positive impacts on those around them.

Ria Babaria, Legislative Director at Generation Up, a California-based, nationwide student-led social justice organization and cosponsor of the bill, argues that “youth voices need to be recognized in California's election cycles as Generation Z is the largest generation to be impacted by significant environmental and social crises. According to studies, young Californians are more politically active, and our state has a higher registration rate for young voters than other states. Since young people are at the forefront of the problems that our community, state, and country confront, as a state we must stop the cycle that continues to ignore their voices. Thanks to Senator Stern’s dedication to youth with SCA 2, more young people will be able to start their journey as active participants of our democracy, which is an essential measure to serve the youth of California.”

By increasing younger voters' engagement in the political process, and availability of resources when one first casts their ballot, we can expect the same civic mindedness to trickle up and influence friends and family to follow suit. Lowering the voting age not only will bring younger voters into the electoral process,but will also have positive impacts on those around them.

The passage of SCA 2 would allow California to pave the way toward a stronger democracy and help heal generational wounds that have negatively impacted equitable voting.As of May 2022, 21.9 million of California’s 26.9 million eligible adults (82%) were registered to vote. This is six percent higher than just 4years before. However,about six in ten unregistered adults in the state are Latino. A growing body of political science research concludes that one of the primary determining factors in whether someone becomes a lifelong voter is whether their parents voted. This hereditary habit of voting has been historically inhibited for many minority groups, and those effects can still be seen in turnout today.

Ria Babaria, Legislative Director at Generation Up, a California-based, nationwide student-led social justice organization and cosponsor of the bill, argues that “youth voices need to be recognized in California's election cycles as Generation Z is the largest generation to be impacted by significant environmental and social crises. According to studies, young Californians are more politically active, and our state has a higher registration rate for young voters than other states. Since young people are at the forefront of the problems that our community, state, and country confront, as a state we must stop the cycle that continues to ignore their voices. Thanks to Senator Stern’s dedication to youth with SCA 2,more young people will be able to start their journey as active participants of our democracy, which is an essential measure to serve the youth of California.”