Dear Friends and Supporters of UTEC and Vote 17 Lowell,
The past few weeks have been some of the most exciting in the campaign to lower the voting age to 17 in Lowell's municipal elections. Our teens have been working to pass the home-rule petition (bill #H01111) which, if passed, would put the question of letting 17 year olds vote in Lowell municipal elections on the November 8th ballot.
We are extremely excited to announce that our bill advanced this past week to the House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading! Special thanks to our lead sponsor, Rep. Kevin Murphy, along with all members of the Lowell delegation (Rep. Tom Golden, Rep. David Nangle, and Sen. Eileen Donoghue. Also, special thanks to Speaker DeLeo for his leadership as the bill moved to the 3rd Reading.
Momentum is indeed building. Our teens have been taking their message to households throughout Lowell in anticipation of Question 1 appearing on this November's ballot, pending stateouse approval (i.e. Vote YES on #1!). Over the past few weeks, the teens have knocked on over 2,000 doors across the city raising awareness and gaining support from Lowell voters. Yesterday, on the 17th of September, 40 volunteers distributed over 5,000 pieces of campaign literature. The support has been incredibly encouraging as teens continue to talk about how 18 is a transitional year (off to college or working for the first time) and how voting while still in school (at 17) can have a significant impact in increasing voter turnout and lifelong civic habits. Feel free to find more info on the VOTE 17 Fact Sheet.
However, the clock is ticking. In order for this question to appear on the November ballot, we need to have full statehouse approval by September 30th. In support of our time-sensitive efforts, the Lowell Sun just published an editorial (see below) praising UTEC teens' effort and strongly urging that the legislature pass our bill in time to "Let Lowell Vote!" And today, the Boston Globe also published a feature article on the VOTE 17 campaign.
We look forward to working with Chairman Pedone as the bill is reviewed in 3rd Reading. Please feel free to call Chairman Pedone's office with your support. You can reach him at 617-722-2410 or email him at [email protected].
To get more involved with our campaign with door-knocking, volunteering, fundraising, please contact our organizers at [email protected] or 978-455-5100. Thanks again for all the support!
VOTE 17!