Culver City is weighing Measure YV, a ballot initiative that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections. The measure is part of a growing push to enfranchise younger people, nationally and worldwide. Critics say these teenagers could be exploited by candidates, and that they should not be able to vote on issues like property taxes.

What’s at stake

Colloquially referred to as the “Vote 16” measure, this ballot initiative would enable Culver City residents who are U.S. citizens and at least 16 years old to vote for city council candidates, city ballot measures and Culver City Unified School District board candidates and measures. Individuals who are 16- and 17-year-olds would not be allowed to vote in county, state and federal elections. The Culver City City Council voted to put the measure on the ballot.

Why it matters

There are 29,169 registered voters in Culver City, most of whom identify as Democrats. According to City Clerk Jeremy Bocchino, 16- and 17-year-olds represent about 700 potential voters. If the measure passes, “the very first opportunity” for those aged 16 and 17 to vote would be in the November 2028 election, he said.

Official title on the ballot: “An Amendment to the City Charter to Lower the Voting Age to 16”

Language you’ll see on your ballot:

"Shall the measure amending the City of Culver City Charter to allow Culver City residents aged 16 and 17, who are otherwise eligible to vote under state and local law, to vote on City and School District candidates and ballot measures, provided that each legislative body has approved budgetary funds and determined logistical systems are in place, and that inclusion would not prevent consolidation of City or School District elections with county elections, be adopted?"

What your vote means

• A "yes" vote means: Culver City would lower the age requirement to 16 for city and school board elections. But before Measure YV gets implemented, the City Council and the school board must determine that the conditions listed in the ballot language are met. 
• A "no" vote means: Culver City would not lower the voting age to 16.

What supporters say 

Supporters say that young people have a personal stake in local issues, particularly in education, because school boards make decisions about a wide range of policies that affect them directly — from budget priorities to campus policing. The measure’s proponents assert that these older teenagers should not be denied the opportunity to elect leaders who represent their interests.

Three Culver City leaders — including mayor Freddy Puza, vice mayor Bryan Fish and councilmember Yasmine-Imani McMorrin — have written arguments in favor of the ballot measure on the city’s website. The city’s 16- and 17-year-olds, they say, already “contribute to the community by working, paying taxes, driving, volunteering, leading student organizations, and serving as active neighbors.”

Proponents also note that, in Northern California, Berkeley and Oakland have already expanded voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds. So have other parts of the nation and Europe. The ballot measure’s supporters point to international research that shows that “people who vote when they first become eligible are more likely to remain engaged throughout their lives.”

Proponents say that the 16- and 17-year-olds’ data would not be included in the state's voter registration information file because they are minors, despite what opponents claim. (More on that below.)

What opponents say

Measure YV is opposed by former Culver City mayors; councilmembers Dan O'Brien and Albert Vera; and Ron Bassilian, president of Protect Culver City, a right-leaning political action committee that was founded in opposition to rent control.

Opponents argue that the measure “makes our students a captive, impressionable voting bloc.” They also say that, if the measure is implemented, “candidates with the best access to the school district will have an advantage over outsiders,” which will make the city council “less accessible or accountable.”

Opponents also claim candidates could obtain the 16- and 17-year-olds’ voting records, including their name, address and contact information. “That means your 16-year-old child would be getting contacted —and courted — by strangers with political motives,” they warn parents in arguments published on the city’s website.

Opponents acknowledge that working teens pay state and federal taxes, but, they say, Culver City’s budget is based primarily on property taxes and business taxes. “This proposal gives children the power to increase your property taxes and pass-through rent increases,” they said.

Potential financial impact

An analysis of the measure by City Attorney Heather Baker does not provide details about potential financial impacts. However, the analysis does indicate that in order for the voting age to be lowered to 16, the City Council and local school must each approve budgetary funds “to cover any additional election costs that may be incurred.”

Currently, those costs are unknown. “If the measure passes, the County and City/School staff will need to meet to determine the logistics and technology that could allow for minors to vote, after which costs can be estimated,” said Culver City spokesperson Dustin Klemann.

Follow the money

LAist will include more campaign financing information in our Voter Game Plan guide as we get closer to Election Day.

Further reading

• 16 and 17-year-olds make history by voting in school board elections in two California cities
• 16-Year-Olds Want a Vote. Fifty Years Ago, So Did 18-Year-Olds.
• Britain is lowering its voting age to 16. Is it time for the United States to do the same?