Teens Gather at UTEC to ask Legislature to "Let Lowell Vote!" on Lowering the Voting Age to 17.   Harvard Professor Laurence Tribe Confirms Legality of VOTE 17 Bill!

LOWELL, MA - With only days left to pass Bill H01111, a measure to allow Lowell citizens to decide if Lowell 17 year olds can vote in municipal elections, teen organizers from the Vote 17 campaign will hold a press conference at the United Teen Equality Center thanking legislators for all their support and asking both the House and Senateto pass their bill this Thursdayin Boston.

The Vote 17 campaign is unlike any similar past or current bill as it calls for the initiative to appear on Lowell's local election ballot after full State House approval. Teen organizers are asking that the state legislature allow the voters of Lowell to decide on an issue that has already received full support from all levels of Lowell's city government and its statehouse delegation. Throughout the bill's journey, it has gained support from The Lowell Sun Editorial Board, the entire Lowell Statehouse Delegation and bill sponsor Rep. Kevin Murphy, the Lowell City Council, Chief of Police Ken Lavallee, and recent endorsements from SEIU 615 and IBEW 2321. As Vote 17 teen organizers have said from the beginning of their campaign, given such widespread support, they are simply asking to "Let Lowell Vote!"   

Teens have knocked on over 3,000 doors over the past month, echoing the same message: Lowering the voting age to 17 is very intentional. Eighteen is a particularly tough year to begin voting: many people are away at college or working full-time for the first time. They are separated from older people and the communities where they grew up. However, seventeen would be ideal. At that age, people are still in high school and often studying civics, and they are directly impacted by local policies, including those of the School Committee and City Council.  As a result, they also have the support of family and educators to become involved and vote for the first time. Research bolsters the argument that if one votes for the first time when they are 17, they will be much more likely to vote more often for the rest of their adult life. As such, Lowell can be a model for how to increase voter turnout and engagement for years to come.

UTEC organizers also just received confirmation on the legality of their effort from none other than Harvard University Law Professor, Laurence Tribe, widely recognized as the foremost constitutional law scholar and Supreme Court practitioner in the United States. As Professor Tribe states, "I have been asked to give my professional opinion (on a pro bono basis) on whether there is any legal obstacle to the effort of Vote 17 to lower Lowell's voting age to 17 for Lowell municipal elections. My conclusion, after studying the issue, is that there is no such obstacle. Once all of the necessary state legislative approvals for a Special Act have been received and confirmed by the Governor's signature, the home-rule measure lowering the voting age to 17 in Lowell's municipal elections (H0111) will be entirely legal."

History: After passing a home-rule petition through the Lowell City Council in December 2010, the bill moved to the State House for approval. In April, teens testified before the Joint Committee on Election Laws where it was then passed favorably out of committee in August. Currently, the bill H01111 is in the House Committee on Bills in Third Reading awaiting a release to the House floor for a vote. In order for this question to appear on the November 8^th Lowell ballot, it needs to have full State House approval by October 3^rd.