Purpose of the Bill

The bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would allow local governments in Minnesota, including counties, municipalities, and school districts, to lower the voting age to 16 for local elections, while maintaining other voter eligibility requirements.

Main Provisions

• Constitutional Amendment: The amendment would give political subdivisions the authority to permit 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in local elections.
• Amend Existing Laws: Several Minnesota statutes related to voter registration and election procedures are proposed for amendment to accommodate the change in voting age for local elections.
• Local Governance: Each local government unit can decide independently whether to adopt the lower voting age for their elections.

Significant Changes

• Voting Age: Currently, the voting age is 18 for all elections. This bill would create an exception allowing 16-year-olds to vote in local elections, subject to local adoption.
• Voting Eligibility: All other voter eligibility criteria remain the same, except for the age change for local elections.
• Ballot Design: Ballots for voters under 18 will be designed to include only local offices and questions pertinent to the jurisdiction that allows voting at 16.
• Voter Registration Forms: Forms will be updated to include eligibility for 16-year-olds to vote in applicable local elections.

Relevant Terms

• Constitutional Amendment
• Voting Age
• Local Elections
• Voter Eligibility
• Political Subdivisions
• Minnesota Statutes Amendment
• Voter Registration