A bill would make 16 the legal age to vote in school board elections.

Should 16-year-olds be able to vote in school board races? 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A bill would make 16 the legal age to vote in school board elections.

A bill would make 16 the legal age to vote in school board elections.

A bill that would drop the age to vote in school board elections to 16 is drawing strong opposition from one education group.

The voting age now is 18.

House Bill 96, sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison, D-Glasgow, which would lower that voting age for school board races, is set to be heard Wednesday at the 3 p.m. House Education Committee.

Efforts were unsuccessful to reach Morrison for comment. He is said to favor the move as a way to get more students involved in civic life.

The Department of Education does not have a position on the bill, according to Alison May, the department’s public information officer.

The Delaware School Boards Association not only opposes the bill, but says it is unconstitutional. 

The 77-year-old association is made up of school boards with the goal of helping improve public education and assisting board members in carrying out their responsibilities.

John Marinucci, the group’s executive director, pointed to Article V, Section 2 of the Delaware Constitution, which establishes that the state’s legal voting age is 21.

“Of course, the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution superseded the Delaware Constitution and lowered the voting age to 18 nation-wide,” he said. “Neither the Delaware Constitution, nor the U.S. Constitution as amended by Amendment 26, indicates a distinction between school board elections and/or state and national elections.”

Because of that, Marinucci said, the association can’t support a bill that violates the state constitution. 

Rep. Charles Postles, R-Milford, who is on the House Education Committee, will oppose the bill.

“I believe it is unconstitutional,” he said. “I see nothing that differentiates school board elections and any other state or national election.”

Naveed Baqir, a board member of Christina School District, said the legislation is an awesome idea. 

“Reducing the voting age from 18 to 16 would give young people a greater say in the decisions that affect their lives, which would help to ensure that their voices are heard and their interests are represented in the political process,” he said. 

Changing the age would encourage Delaware’s youth to become more engaged in politics and to take an active role in shaping their future, he said.

“It also would help to create a more diverse and representative electorate, as younger people tend to have different perspectives and priorities than older generations,” Baqir said.

Jose Matthews, a Red Clay Consolidated School District board member agreed with Baqir, saying that the legislation speaks to the continued push to include student voice in district decisions.

“Red Clay has a student representative seat at all of our board meetings, which was originally met with fear and hostility, but is now one of the most revered highlights of our board,” he said. “School board elections are already one of the least notable and participated public elections in our state, with the strong majority of adults 18+ staying home at the polls, so perhaps this will get folks paying attention. ”

Under HB 96, the minimum voting age would remain 18 in all other public school elections, including referendums.

RELATED: Caesar Rodney wants to raise school taxes 27.7% 

Marinucci said the School Board Association  recognizes the valuable contributions students have made and continue to make to the school board governance process and system.

“Many have locally developed and approved board policies that allow student representation on their respective boards,” he said.

Share this Post