Voting Early & Often

California has no shortage of problems. One problem in particular that does not bode well for the future is this: young voters, tomorrow’s leaders, are staying away from the polls in droves. Almost half of California’s eligible voters in the critical 18-24 age bracket are not registered to vote.

There is no magic wand that will solve this problem overnight. But there are steps we can take toward the ultimate goal of encouraging and ensuring participation in the heart of the democratic process.

One potential solution is now sitting on the desk of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The California Legislature recently approved AB 30, a bill that would lower the voter registration age to 17. Lowering the registration age, not the voting age, would allow students to get involved in the democratic process at an earlier point in their lives and a critical stage in their development. It would also allow high schools to become more actively engaged in the real world process of civic education.

“Good Government” groups appear to be unanimous in their support of this concept. Some members of the public, though, have misunderstood this proposal and equate it with lowering the voting age. One person contacted New America with this comment:

“Eighteen is too young to vote period! We should go back to 21. Eighteen year olds are profoundly immature and are easily seduced by any politician promising anything that sounds like fun. No one who has never held a full time job should be allowed to vote!”

Perhaps 18 year olds would not be so “easily seduced by any politician promising anything” if they had some civic education under their belts and not only studied the political process but actually had experience participating in it before they took their turns at the ballot box.