Can young people vote? This is possible in Oakland and Berkeley

OAKLAND, California. – A historic shift is taking place in Oakland and Berkeley that is giving younger people the right to vote.

Young people aged 16 and over can now take part in the district’s school board elections in November.

This came after Oakland voters passed a law four years ago lowering the voting age for school board elections.

Berkeley passed a similar measure in 2016. There, too, young people are allowed to participate in school board elections.

On Thursday, the Oakland nonprofit Families in Action launched a youth voter registration campaign and hosted a candidate forum to prepare youth.

The students were both excited and nervous about this historic change and their new responsibilities.

“This empowerment gives me the chance to represent what I want,” said 17-year-old Jonathan Munoz, who registered to vote at the event.

The campaign to engage teens and their parents included a forum where they had the opportunity to meet the school board candidates who would be running in November.

In 2020, Oakland voters passed Measure QQ, which lowers the voting age in school board elections to 16.

But it took four years and many hurdles, including technical implementation, had to be overcome before this change could take place.

“Why don’t we decide how our district is run?” asked Ben Salop, one of the initiators of the measure.

Salop said that when he served as student government president at Oakland Technical High, the school board largely ignored his concerns.

“I had no say whatsoever in district affairs, and that was heartbreaking,” Salop said.

“We know from national data that 80% of young people who start voting in their 20s will vote throughout their lives. We believe we have an opportunity in Oakland to cultivate lifelong engaged voters,” said Kimi Kean, co-founder of Families in Action.

The students said it was high time to raise their voices.

“Our parents don't see what's happening in our schools. We're the ones who are there. We're the ones who receive the education. That's why I think it's so important that we're the ones who have a voice to improve our education,” says 17-year-old Tatiana Novoa, a newly registered young voter.

“My vote is not only for me, but also for the future of the students. I want to offer them the best possible education they can get,” said youth leader Emanuel Muratalla.

Organizers planned to register 1,000 young voters in time for the November elections.

They are working with 10 high schools to achieve this goal.

Supporters said the idea of ​​allowing teenagers to vote in school board elections is gaining popularity across the country.

There are five municipalities in Maryland where young people can vote.

A city in Vermont and Newark, New Jersey, also have measures in place to achieve the same goal.

Amber Lee is a reporter at KTVU. Email Amber at [email protected] or text/message her at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU