Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Voting Age topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
College Park holds public hearing on lowering local voting age to 16; council retains hearing and tables vote
Summary
The College Park City Council held a public hearing on a charter amendment to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections. Public testimony included both strong support and opposition. The council kept the hearing open but voted to table final action until the District 3 seat is filled.
The College Park City Council held a public hearing on a proposed charter amendment (24 CRO2) to lower the city’s voting age for municipal elections from 18 to 16, hearing more than a dozen in-person and virtual speakers and then voting to keep the public record open and postpone a final vote until the city’s District 3 seat is filled.
Supporters including high school students and youth organizers said lowering the local voting age would increase civic participation and form lifelong voting habits. “At 16, individuals are cognitively capable of making thoughtful and comprehensive voting decisions,” said Anya Kleinman, a high school junior and director of Vote 16 Maryland. Vanessa Lee, 17, and Lawan Allen of Vote 16 USA also urged passage, saying municipalities that have already adopted vote-16 policies saw higher youth turnout and increased long-term civic engagement.
Opponents told the council that 16- and 17-year-olds lack the tax or legal responsibilities of adult residents and that expanding the franchise risks diluting taxpayer influence. “They've never paid bills of their own,” said Richard Biffle, who identified himself as a nonresident taxpayer, arguing minors should not be enfranchised. Resident David Dorsch said he opposed the change and urged the council to leave the voting age at 18.
City Attorney Anderson explained the legal mechanics: under Maryland law municipalities may lower the voting age through a charter amendment and a change would require a charter vote to take effect. Council members agreed to hold the public hearing tonight and keep the record open for additional written comments, but they voted earlier in the meeting to defer any final council vote on the amendment until the District 3 council seat is seated so the new representative can participate.
The council’s action leaves the public hearing on the record while postponing final adoption. Staff noted the record will remain open for additional correspondence and that, if adopted, the charter change would take effect after the statutorily required waiting period. Council members asked staff to assemble comparative turnout data from Maryland municipalities that have lowered the local voting age and to provide numbers showing how many 16- and 17-year-olds currently live within College Park.
