Advocates’ For Teen Rights Want the Vote for 16-Year-Olds

Advocates’ For Teen Rights Want the Vote for 16-Year-Olds

EMILY TRAN Staff Writer

 

Many teenagers believe they need to have representation on local issues when the outcome will impact them greatly in the future. Vote on 16 is a campaign launched by students from Alhambra High School, Mark Keppel High School and San Gabriel High School to help teens have a voice on the prohibition of allowing sixteen-year-olds to vote in the district’s Board of Education elections. By attempting to change this policy, they aim to increase civic engagement and obtain a chance for teenagers to have a say in these matters. Vote on 16 plans to have a candidate debate event on Sept. 19, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the AHS cafeteria. The event will be a roundtable discussion where participants will be free to explore the issue and given equal opportunity to speak.

The event is free and available for anyone who would like to attend and join in on the conversation. There are many reasons why the Vote on 16 group decided to hold this discussion.

“The purpose of the forum is to provide transparency and knowledge to the general public, much like the nationally televised town hall and public forum debates in the presidential election,” said senior and Vote on 16 member Winston Yan.

Students who are a part of this campaign believe they have ideas that will improve the school system. They described matters such as fundraising for their extracurricular activities and the number of advanced placement classes students should be able to take. “Some of the schools do not have PA systems, making communication difficult and even raising safety concerns,” said senior Anthony Hu. The members of Vote for 16 hope to give students a voice in their communities. No matter how many times students protest over matters, if they are not heard, real change will be impossible.