Voting Age For Some PA Elections Could Change Under Forthcoming Bill

HARRISBURG, PA — The voting age for school board elections could be reduced to 16 under a soon to be a introduced piece of legislation in Pennsylvania, part of an effort to enfranchise engaged young students in the state.

Proponents argue that 16 and 17-year-olds have as much or more at stake in school board elections than anyone else in the district, with decisions from funding to curriculum to school activities often decided by the board.

But the current voting age for school board elections is the same as for any other election: 18.

"These students have no say in who gets elected to their own school boards and how the decisions that shape their daily education are made," State Reps. Representative Chris Pielli and John Ingliss III wrote in a co-sponsorship memorandum. "Pennsylvania students deserve to have a greater voice in how their own school system is run and who runs it."

It is not a new concept. Four states, including California, Vermont, Maryland, and New Jersey, already allow 16-year-olds to vote in school board races.

The Fund for Women and Girls, a Chester County nonprofit, has launched a campaign called "Vote16 PA" to advocate for the change. Local students say it's time.

“Students above the age of 16 can drive, earn money by working, and even pay taxes," shared Miya, a high school student who works with the Fund. "As youth, we have unique perspectives, and as students of education that school boards help provide, our voices should be heard. Yet we still cannot be a part of decisions that affect us.”

Vote16 is part of a larger initiative, Vote16 USA, advocating for lowering the voting age in state and even federal elections to 16 around the country.

Many of the Vote16PA students helped lobby to get the legislation introduced, met in person with Pennsylvania legislators before the co-sponsorship memorandum was written, and helped craft the specific language of the bill itself.

Advocates also say there are long term benefits to getting teens civically involved early on.

“There is significant data from the US and abroad that shows the younger somebody starts voting, the more likely they are to consistently engage in the civic process,” Blake Emmanuel, director of advocacy and policy at the Fund for Women and Girls, told Patch.

The bill will be introduced to the Pennsylvania legislature in the near future.