Culver City, Calif. (KNX) - On the ballot in Culver City is measure VY which will determine if 16 and 17-year-olds should be permitted to vote in city and school board elections.
Opponents of the measure say 16-year-olds are simply too young to understand the issues and make reasonable choices.
Voices in favor of the measure, like the mayor of Culver City, Daniel Lee, say only good can come from lowering the voting age.
Mayor Lee tells KNX In Depth that he was first made aware of the initiative by a group of young people spanning the political spectrum. He believes, "If [they] have to deal with things like the climate crisis and the fact that we are not moving fast enough on addressing policy around the climate...They should be able to vote."
The mayor also says engaging people at a younger age can increase the chance they will be lifelong, informed voters.
And to those who believe 16-year-olds just can't be trusted with such important decisions - mayor Lee says, "I'm not confident that a 50-year-old or a 70-year-old Has the psychological development and ability to make complex decisions. I think we've seen adults make a lot of dumb decisions."
Listen to the whole conversation above.
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