I can, like, vote and like stuff, like is cool, like

Geronimo · May 9, 2004

Only in Cali, I guess.

A bill designed to get youth more involved in the elections process passed the state Senate Committee on Elections and Reappointment on Wednesday.

SB 1606 by Sen. John Vasconcellos, D-San Jose, would lower the state's legal voting age to 14. The catch is that it would take four 14 or 15 year olds to make up a whole vote.

The proposed constitutional amendment would give 14- and 15-year-olds 1/4 of a full vote, while 16- and 17-year-olds would get 1/2 a full vote.

Vasconcellos dubbed his bill 'Training Wheels for Citizenship,' and says it is designed to encourage early and regular voter participation among young Californians by affording them a real live stake in the political process.

http://www.vacavillenews.com/articles/index.cfm?artOID=182670&cp=116

manda · May 9, 2004

yikes!

aggiezach · May 9, 2004

wow! I just don't know what to think about this one. This gives those people who say "Oh my vote doesn't won't make a difference" a new soap box to stand on. I kinda like it though. Great way to get the kids interested while they're younger. I know I wouldn't care at all about politics if I hadn't been exposed to it while I was in Jr. High.

Geronimo · May 9, 2004

I was involved in Kid vote in Jr High thru the time I as able to vote. While it is good to get kids involved as soon as possible, but I can just image it right now.

teenie booper #1: Who you, like, going to vote for and stuff.
teenie booper #2:Like, I dont know. Who is the cutest.
teenie booper #3: OMG <insert canidate here> He is like, the bomb.

This is why the founding fathers created the elective college.

Darfion · May 10, 2004

Don't ever vote. ....it just encourages them

terri · May 10, 2004

They'll vote how their friends tell them to vote, or how their church tells them to vote, or how their parents tell them to vote. A 14 year old is not mature or sophisticated enough in the ways of the world to be able to make a sound judgment call, politically. Hell, I can barely do it myself!

Bad idea. Just my opinion.

oriecat · May 10, 2004

Completely agree with what terri said! Crazy idea. There must be better ways to get young people involved. Besides we need to get the 18+ people voting first! If you can get 100% voter turn out of those already eligible, then maybe think about expanding, but with the crap turnout the US tends to show lately, we have more pressing issues than 14-17 year olds.