New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Six Democrat lawmakers are pushing to allow 16 and 17-year citizens in Massachusetts to vote in elections. Harriette L. Chandler (First Worcester) is presenting a bill co-sponsored by Andres Vargas (3rd Essex), Dylan Fernandes (Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket), Julian Cyr (Cape and Islands), Jason Lewis (Fifth Middlesex) and Rebecca Rausch (Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex).
Here is the current Massachusetts General Law (Section 51 – Section 1):
Section 1. Every citizen eighteen years of age or older, not being a person under guardianship or incarcerated in a correctional facility due to a felony conviction, and not being temporarily or permanently disqualified by law because of corrupt practices in respect to elections, who is a resident in the city or town where he claims the right to vote at the time he registers, and who has complied with the requirements of this chapter, may have his name entered on the list of voters in such city or town, and may vote therein in any such election, or except insofar as restricted in any town in which a representative town meeting form of government has been established, in any meeting held for the transaction of town affairs. Notwithstanding any special law to the contrary, every such citizen who resides within the boundaries of any district, as defined in section one A of chapter forty-one, may vote for district officers and in any district meeting thereof, and no other person may so vote. A person otherwise qualified to vote for national or state officers shall not, by reason of a change of residence within the commonwealth, be disqualified from voting for such national or state officers in the city or town from which he has removed his residence until the expiration of 6 months from such removal.
You can read the full bill here which would change the voting age from 18 to 16:
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