17 Year Olds to Vote Proposal

From the Wisconsin State Journal, Monday, FEB 5, 2007

Wisconsin would become one of a handful of states allowing some 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections, under a bill introduced by a Madison lawmaker. The proposal would allow 17-year-olds who would turn 18 by the date of the general election to vote in the primary. If passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jim Doyle, the bill would go to a statewide referendum in November 2008. Ratification by voters would make the bill law on Jan. 1, 2009.

"It's good public policy," said Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, the bill's sponsor. "It gives those young people participating in the process a chance to participate in the entire election cycle."

But Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, called the idea "ridiculous."
"I think it's crazy. It's ridiculous. Seventeen-year-olds are juveniles," Fitzgerald said. "The premise is flawed, and it makes absolutely no sense to me."

The bill is scheduled for a hearing Feb. 13 before the Senate Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs Committee. Rep. Terry Musser, R-Black River Falls, said he expects to sponsor the bill in the Assembly.

"If there's a 17-year-old who's that interested in voting, why not?" Musser said.

It's unclear exactly how many potential voters the bill would affect, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau there were 81,270 17-year-olds in Wisconsin in 2005.

Because Wisconsin's fall statewide primary is held in September, just weeks before the general election, bill sponsors said only a portion of the state's 17-year-olds would be affected during each election cycle.

Eight states currently have such laws, she said: Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio and Virginia. Others, including California, Kansas, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Connecticut, Illinois, Oregon and Hawaii have considered similar legislation since 2001 but rejected it...

MARK PITSCH 608-252-6145 mpitsch@madison.com Article can be found here.

Analysis -- Any reasonable effort to increase participation in our democracy is great. This effort is reasonable. This population suggested already votes in the general, and expanding this to the primary allows them to take ownership in the entire election process. We should be tearing down roadblocks, and this is one small piece. I will note that I support allowing all 17 year olds the vote. Congratulations to any young adult interested in politics enough to vote.

The statement that this population should not vote because, "Seventeen-year-olds are juveniles" means nothing. Was Fitzgerald suggesting that this population is uninformed or not mature enough to vote? If these were criteria, then he better be prepared to eliminate a huge population of the current voting population.

Fred Risser, Photo from WI State Legistlature Website

Note - this is currently a Senate proposal, but likely that a similar Assembly Bill would follow