California’s problem with voter apathy is well known.
To give younger voters a voice in issues impacting them, state Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) last week introduced a California constitutional amendment that would let 16- and 17-year-olds vote in their local school board and community college district governing board elections.
Gonzalez says that 16-year-olds have the same maturity and decision-making ability as 18-year-olds.
What do you think? Should 16- and 17-year-olds be allowed to vote in limited cases? Would that encourage political engagement in this age group in the future?
Guests:
Lorena Gonzalez, Assemblywoman (D-San Diego) representing the 80th Assembly District, which includes Chula Vista, National City and the San Diego neighborhoods of City Heights and Barrio Logan. She is behind Assembly Constitutional Amendment 7,which would allow 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in their local school board and community college district governing board elections; Lorena tweets from @LorenaAD80
Arthur Lupia, a professor of political science at the University of Michigan. He is Chair of the American Political Science Association Task Force on Improving Public Engagement, and the author of the book, “Uninformed: Why People Seem to Know So Little about Politics and What We Can Do about it” (Oxford University Press, 2015)
