Expand the ranks of younger voters

3/23/07

Connecticut should do all it can to encourage young people to participate in the political process, which is why an effort to amend the state Constitution to allow 17-year-olds to vote in party primaries provided they turn 18 before the general election is a good idea.
Though a relatively small number of people would be affected, it's a positive step. It's not exactly a reduction in the voting age, but would allow people who want to take part in their civic duties the opportunity to do so. If, for instance, a person had turned 18 last year between August and November, he would have been able to vote in the general election for the Senate, but not the primary, which ended up being a much closer race (and also moot, but that's beside the point).
Anything to increase interest in our elective process is for the best, especially among young people, where tallies of participating voters are vanishingly small.
It's the first time in three years of trying that the bill has made it out of committee, and now the proposal goes to the full General Assembly. It's a long process, however, to amend the state Constitution. It would need the support of three-quarters of the Senate and the House of Representatives; voters would then be asked to vote on the proposal in the 2008 election because constitutional amendments can only be placed on the ballot in even years.
For the 10,000 or so potential voters, though, it could make a big difference. It could also be a big help for the health of our democratic future.