(Welcome Senator Switalski! - promoted by wizardkitten)
 Last Wednesday, I introduced legislation (Senate Joint Resolution N) that would allow 16-year old students to vote in local school board elections. Under this constitutional amendment, students would be unable to vote in school millage or bond elections. In order for it to become law, the measure requires a two-thirds majority of the Michigan Senate and House and voters must approve in the November election. Before you attempt to have me committed to a mental institution, here me out. I have reprinted my speech made on the Senate floor explaining the reasoning behind this legislation.
(Senate Journal, May 7, 2008) My statement is as follows:
"I have a truly radical and wild-eyed idea today that I want to propose. Yesterday was an election day in many areas of the state. Election Day should be the secular equivalent of a high holy day in Michigan. It should be a day when we celebrate democracy by exercising our most cherished right, the right to vote.
Unfortunately, many school board candidates were elected yesterday despite less than 10 percent of the electorate casting ballots. Today, I have introduced a constitutional amendment that would make a radical change to voter eligibility and significantly raise the level of participation in such elections. I propose that we grant 16-year-olds the right to vote in school board elections. We have legislation pending that would allow the Secretary of State to pre-register teens to vote when they get their provisional drivers' license at age 16. I support this legislation; it will result in more teens registering to vote. |
| But we can go even further. We should duplicate the success of the graduated driver's license program, which allows teen to drive earlier at 14 years and 9 months, but with significant restrictions. After a two-year apprenticeship, they are then allowed to drive unrestricted. This training period has resulted in more responsible teen drivers who are involved in fewer accidents.
This constitutional amendment would apply that same principle of apprenticeship to voters. If we just pre-register them and make them wait two years, they will forget that they even registered. Let's allow them to vote for school board candidates and begin the habit of a lifetime. They will cast their ballots and participate in civic affairs and our democracy will be stronger for it. Students are directly and immediately affected by these elections. They care about having good schools. Who knows more about how our schools are operating than the students themselves? They should have some say in the governance of the system.
It will also be a good tonic for the rest of the electorate. Statistics show that turnout is routinely below 10 percent in these elections. More adults would vote if they knew their kids could outvote them. Some parents would be shamed into voting when they drove their kid to the polls. Others would finally appreciate the value and power of the ballot.
I recently received about 60 letters from Heather Schodowski's students at Dresden Elementary in Sterling Heights. While some students asked me to pass laws to create new video games or reduce the price of LEGO or even the chewing of gum, two students, Keegan McMillan and Jennifer Amodeo, asked me to allow young people to vote. I think their suggestion has merit, and I propose that 16-year-olds, mostly juniors and seniors in high school, be allowed to vote for school board candidates, but not for millages or bond issues or for any other elections. Nor would my amendment lower the current age required to run for various offices, but it will engage and train a new generation of voters." |
