Bill > H5382

This bill proposes to amend existing voting eligibility laws by allowing municipalities with elected school committees to provide an option for 16- and 17-year-old residents to register and vote specifically in school committee elections. Currently, voting is restricted to citizens 18 years and older. Under this proposed legislation, individual cities and towns would have the discretion to decide whether to extend voting rights in school committee elections to 16- and 17-year-olds through an ordinance, referendum, or other local mechanism. To be eligible, these younger voters would need to have resided in the state for at least 30 days and in the specific city or town for at least 30 days before the election. The bill emphasizes local control by allowing each municipality to choose whether to implement this expanded voting provision, rather than mandating it statewide. The legislation would take effect immediately upon passage, giving local governments the immediate ability to adopt this new voting option if they choose to do so.

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