By Bob Katzen
This bill would allow voters who will turn 18 and be eligible to vote in a November general election to also vote in the preceding primary election even though they will only be 17 at the time of the primary election.
Supporters said that allowing 17-year-olds olds to have a voice would establish a foundation for lifelong engagement in the democratic process and bolster civic engagement of these youths.
Rep. Joan Meschino (D-Hull) first sponsored the bill in 2020 at the request of then-16-year-old Hingham High School student Samantha Bevins, now a 21-year-old junior at Dartmouth College studying Government and Public Policy, who wanted this group to be allowed to vote in the Bay State’s March 2020 presidential primary.
Bevins said she is thrilled to learn that the bill received initial approval. “I proposed this legislation … when I was 16 because I wanted first-time voters in the commonwealth to have the same rights as my peers in 27 other states and Washington, D.C.,” said Bevins. “It is crucial that young people have the opportunity to fully participate in their first election cycle by having a say in the primaries on candidates who will ultimately be on the ballot in the general election. I am hopeful our bill will [receive further approval] soon in order to fully enfranchise first-time voters before the next Massachusetts state primaries.”
“This legislation promotes a model of civic engagement and full enfranchisement that is critical to foster among our young people, who are the future of this country,” said Meschino. “Hingham resident Samantha Bevins and her peers’ continued engagement in the advocacy process during consecutive legislative sessions demonstrates that these young adults are fully equipped and ready for the opportunity to fully engage in the election process, and I commend them for their groundbreaking efforts.”
”[The bill] will lead to increased voter turnout that transcends party lines and further engages the youngest voters,” said co-sponsor Rep. Jack Lewis (D-Framingham). “This furthers our civic engagement goals and aligns the commonwealth with 27 other states including Mississippi, Wyoming, West Virginia and Maine.”