Takoma Park, a Maryland city of 17,000 near Washington, D.C., has lowered the voting age for municipal elections to 16. Local elections in Takoma Park now have between a 20-40% turnout, which is better than local elections in Carbon County.
Here’s what else Takoma Park does to involve citizens. Early voting will be available in every election. Same-day registration will be available in every election. Apartment buildings must give access to candidates who want to campaign door-to-door within the building.
Isn’t it nice that there are still portions of America that believe in democratic government?
The information for this posting was obtained from an article entitled “Old Enough to Drive--and Vote” in the October 2013 issue of Governing Magazine, p. 9. The editorial opinion in the last paragraph is mine alone.
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