Photo by SEIU Local 99
The City Council will hold a hearing on this issue and welcomes the public to testify
The City Council Committee on Government Operations will hold a hearing on Docket #0185, “Petition for a Special Law re: An Act Granting the City of Boston the Authority to Provide Legal Voting Rights in Municipal Elections for City of Boston Residents Aged 16 and 17 Years Old.” The event will take place on March 15 at 10 a.m. The sponsors of the docket are Councilors Julia Mejia and Kenzie Bok. Written comments can be sent to the Committee email (ccc.go@Boston.gov), and members of the public wishing to testify virtually should email the staff contact (christine.odonnell@boston.gov) for a link and instructions to do so.
Mejia explained to Dig why she believes the City of Boston should have the authority to provide legal voting rights in municipal elections to residents aged 16 and 17 years old.
“We often refer to young people as the ‘leaders of tomorrow.’ But in so many instances, young people are being asked to step up and be the leaders today. They are organizing rallies and protests, speaking up at school committee hearings, working and paying taxes that contribute to our community, and so much more. And yet, when it comes to the most important part of being a leader in our community, voting, young people are not allowed a seat at the table. We are filing this home rule petition because we know that that needs to change.”
Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.
