One of the most important aspects of life is the ability to change your mind. It’s time to vote yes on YV.
It used to be the kind of a joke you would see on a bumper sticker, “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts!” Tragically, we have a lot of data that show us people really don’t allow facts to change their minds. It’s the biggest reason that we are in the mess we are in. Ideas that might have been social guidelines in the 20th Century are not just outdated – they are destructive.
When Culver City originally voted to extend the franchise to 16 and 17 year olds, there were only two other cities in the country that held that standard, and we recommended against it for a number of reasons. Now there are 17, and the evidence is good that there are multiple benefits to extending the voting age; for the cities they vote in and for the new voters themselves.
Measure YV which would lower the voting age to 16 for local elections. It would allow youth to vote for City Council, for School Board, and on municipal Measures.
There are so many authoritarian forces trying to limit the franchise – false claims of voter fraud, voter rolls being purged, ballots confiscated or stolen, hundreds of voter suppression laws passed all over the country – this is a simple option to keep the flag of democracy flying. The more voters we have, the more voices we hear. It’s only when everyone is part of the conversation that we can make the decisions that benefit everyone.
Vote yes.
Judith Martin-Straw
