Oakland voters to decide in November whether to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections

In response to a proposal by student leaders in Oakland Unified, the Oakland City Council unanimously agreed to ask voters in November to approve an amendment to the city charter that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in Oakland Unified school board elections. The students, along with youth advocates, argued that they should be able to vote for the elected representatives who make decisions that directly affect them and cited research that showed giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote creates lifelong, habitual voters, increases voter turnout, and influences their parents by making them more likely to vote.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is also poised to place a similar initiative on the November ballot that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all municipal elections. In 2016, Berkeley voters passed an initiative giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in school board elections. Voters in four Maryland cities allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in all their municipal elections.

Oakland Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan, who sponsored the city proposal, urged advocates to reach out to other Bay Area cities to promote this idea. “This is another opportunity for Oakland to lead in a way that is about opportunity and inclusion,” she said.

If approved, the Oakland measure would go into effect for 2022 school board elections. More information is at http://www.oaklandyouthvote.org/.