Washington State Voting Age Bill

The voting age continues to be NYRA’s number one concern. A strong NYRA chapter is emerging in Olympia, Washington, and they have thrown their support behind voting age legislation. If passed, the bill will lower the state’s voting age to sixteen. Coming so soon after the California voting age bill, one can not help but sense an emerging trend. NYRA-Olympia President Jason Puz has been integral in rallying support for this bill. He has been in contact with several of the legislators who are behind it, and has been in touch with members of the media. The bill, co-sponsored by Washington State Representatives Hunt, Williams, Green, and Haigh, went before a committee on Friday, April 8. The State Government Operations & Accountability Committee is comprised of ten members, three of whom co-sponsored the bill. Jason Puz, Heather Kelley and Kehlen Sachet. testified on behalf of the bill, and by all acounts the testimony went well. Listen to the testimony here. After the hearing, they spoke to reporters. Check the news from the web section for an article on the Washington voting age bill. Keith Mandell and Robert Reynolds have also been working on this issue, and every member of the committee received a letter from the NYRA Board of Directors. If it gets enough momentum, this bill will attract a lot of attention. It will invigorate the Olympia chapter and offer hope to millions of disenfranchised young people. If you can help in any way please email Keith Mandell.