Proposition 18, which would have allowed 17-year-olds who turn 18 before the general election to vote in state primaries and special elections, has failed. As of Thursday evening the measure had gained just 45% approval and was down by about 1.3 million votes.
A study by the Public Policy Institute of California determined that more than 200,000 voters would have been eligible to vote in each of the previous two elections if the measure had been in effect then.
Supporters of the proposition framed the issue as one of fairness, arguing newly eligible voters in the general election should have a say in choosing the candidates that advance from the primary. Proponents also framed Proposition 18 as a way to advance youth engagement in elections by beginning to build voting habits earlier in a teen’s life.
Opponents said that the age of 18 is the standard legal threshold for adulthood, and that the change would give impressionable high school students who could be subject to undue influence a direct say in the many local taxes and bond measures that come before voters in primary elections.
— Guy Marzorati (@GuyMarzorati)