Bill to Lower Voter Registration Age Heads to Governor

The legislation would allow any 17-year-old to pre-register

By Elizabeth Wu | Published on 09.14.2009

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The California legislature on Thursday approved Assembly Bill 30, a bill lowering the voter registration age to 17.

If signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the legislation could dramatically improve California’s low voter-participation rate for young voters. Nearly half of eligible voters ages 18 to 24 were not registered to vote in 2004 (the most recent year for which data is available).

AB 30 is based on a signature idea from the New America Foundation’s Political Reform Program.

AB 30 would create an option for young people who are 17 years or older to pre-register to vote (sometimes known as “advance” registration). When they turn 18, their registration will automatically become active. The bill would allow young people to be involved in the democratic process at an earlier age and make it more likely that they will remain engaged as they become adults.

State law says anyone age 17 is eligible to pre-register if that individual will be 18 years old before the next election. AB 30 would extend pre-registration to all 17-year-olds, making the treatment of 17-year-olds uniform instead of having some who are eligible to pre-register while others are not.

“Research has demonstrated that developing good political engagement habits at a younger age will increase the likelihood of civic participation as an adult,” said Steven Hill, director of the Political Reform Program. “AB 30 will help break the disengagement cycle that often prevents young people from developing habits of participation that carry over into their adult years.”

Eight states have enacted pre-registration laws.

— Elizabeth Wu represents the New America Foundation.

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» What?? on 09.14.09 @ 12:50 PM

Like the voters aren’t young and dumb enough already? What exactly is the purpose of this other than to further dumb down the electorate into voting blindly for Dumocrats?


» SBres on 09.15.09 @ 10:33 AM

Yes “What??”, people only vote democrat because they are dumb. Your statement is mocking itself with irony.


» CM Republican on 09.15.09 @ 10:39 AM

What happened to the concept of allowing 17 year olds to vote in a primary if they would be 18 by the run-off?


» Impractical on 09.15.09 @ 10:30 PM

Why pre-register anyone unless they will be 18 on election day? (That I can see) But register them a year ahead of time is just a waste of time.

What some of these advocacy groups don’t realize is that people don’t vote unless the election has meaning for them.

What happens to these pre-registration forms? What further bottlenecking of the administrative cycle does this create?

Some groups try to artificially gin up turnout with gimmicks, and it just doesn’t work.

I am all for people registering to vote who want to do so, but if you want them to vote, GIVE THEM SOMEONE TO VOTE FOR.


» grass on 09.19.09 @ 06:32 PM

YEA YEA lets get more stupid people to vote! raise it to 21.


» grass on 09.19.09 @ 06:35 PM

what??  is correct (my guess) they would belong to the party that has a juvenile mind set. Lets be fair, and I say EARTH DAY should be a paid holiday and if you dont have a job the check is in the mail.


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