Utah might chase a bump in the youth vote by allowing 17-year-olds vote in primary elections if they turn 18 by the November general elections.
If the bill gets approved, Utah will be the 21st state to allow such an arrangement, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
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The goal is to “help boost voter participation and get more young people engaged” in the electoral process. By getting teenagers involved in voting at a younger age, advocates hope to instill voting as a routine for every election cycle. Get the youth hooked on voting now, and they’re more likely to continue as they age.
States haven’t always been open to that reasoning. In 2008, the Maryland attorney general found that 17-year-olds voting would be unconstitutional, but a lawsuit reversed that decision, which opened voting to about 50,000 Maryland teenagers. More than 10,000 teenagers registered to vote before the primary as a result.
Illinois implemented 17-year-old voting in 2014, and turnout rates were “comparable to turnout of voters in their 40s.”
State lawmakers will consider the bill later in January.
