California Assemblymember Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) has introduced ACA 7, a proposed amendment to the California Constitution. It would let 17-year-olds vote in primaries, if they will have attained age 18 by the time of the general election.
It is poorly thought out, since it doesn’t tie the right to vote in the general election to the corresponding primary election.
For example, someone who turned 18 in August 2004, could have registered to vote in August 2003 when they turned 17, and then voted in the October 2003 gubernatorial recall election. But it doesn’t appear to permit someone who turns 18 before the Los Angeles mayoral election to vote in the Los Angeles mayoral primary.
So instead it should permit someone who is 18 before the definitive stage of a multistage election to vote in any preliminary stages that are (1) within two months of the final stage; and (2) where all voters and all candidates may participate in a single on-ballot race. Registration could occur at 17 years 6 months, which would be 4 months before a primary, while avoiding too many intervening special elections.
In California, this would include all nonpartisan and voter-nominated offices, if the primary were not too early. It would exclude the presidential preference primary, party offices, and any ballot propositions.
To facilitate participation, the even-year primary should be moved to September, with overseas voters provided an additional preferential ballot, as is done in Louisiana and South Carolina.
Special elections should be made single stage, all-mail elections. Paper ballots should be used in which voters indicate their preferences with numerals, as is done in Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Citizen tellers should be selected at random from the voter rolls. In addition to modest pay equivalent to jury service. The election should be within 42 days of the proclamation of election, which must be within 7 days of the election. This gives 14 days for declaration of candidacies, 14 days to print and mail ballots, and 14 days to vote.
Jim Riley
My question is how can a 17 year old establish a residence different from a parent to register to vote!?
#2 Go to college or become an emancipated minor.
Jim Riley
I understand a emancipated minor either by marriage or court order. I do not see how going to college will establish a different resident
This is already the law in Kentucky, and there hasn’t been any bad effects from it that I know of.
But then, you’re talking about a state that outlaws ferrets because they think that spayed ferrets will escape their owners and reproduce in the wild.