Newark City has already adopted an ordinance and will go into effect next year. Attention is being paid to the New Jersey state legislature after it pushed for a bill to lower the voting age limit to 16 or older only for local school district school board elections.
The New Jersey State Senate and State Assembly each submitted bills with this content on the 16th and began the legislative process. Currently, in New Jersey school district school board elections, only U.S. citizens over 18 years of age can vote. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is also supporting a bill to lower the voting age for school board elections. If the bill becomes law, New Jersey will become the first state in the nation to allow people 16 and older to vote in school board elections.
Supporters of the bill said, “It is desirable for teenagers to have more of a voice in selecting education members who will directly affect them,” and added, “Actively participating in voting from a young age will serve as an opportunity to develop an interest in voting throughout one’s life.” This is the position. The city of Newark, New Jersey, already adopted an ordinance in January granting the right to vote in school board elections to those aged 16 or older.
Accordingly, U.S. citizens aged 16 or older in Newark City will be able to vote starting in the Newark District Board of Education election next year.