House Bill 3012 would let 16- and 17-year-olds vote in school board elections by 2029

Some Oregon students are pushing lawmakers to pass a bill to allow them to vote in school board elections. 

House Bill 3012, introduced earlier this year, would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in nonpartisan school board elections starting in 2029. A group of youth voting advocates met outside the Oregon Capitol on Monday morning to encourage legislators to take up the bill — one day before school board elections take place across Oregon. 

Oregon automatically registers 16- and 17-year-olds when they obtain driver’s licenses, but they do not receive a ballot until they are 18. Meanwhile, there are 21 states that allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the general election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and some U.S. cities allow teens to vote in local elections. 

But Oregon teens like Nilani Maheswaran, a Beaverton high school student, said she should be allowed to vote on issues impacting her education because she works, drives and pays taxes. The issues that concern her the most in her school are staff shortages, mental health support and high student to teacher ratios. 

“We want to work with our teachers and board members on the issues we care about, but that can’t happen until we’re given a seat at the table,” Maheswaran said. 

Katie Jin, a Portland high schooler, said she transferred to a private school after her local school board cut the programs she cared about. While she understands not all Oregon students have this option, she said all students regardless of their socioeconomic status should have a say in the school policies and programs they want. 

“This starts by giving youth voices in their schools to elect school board members, who best represent them and will listen to their needs, challenges and experiences,” Jin said.

In 2023, teens and Democrats unsuccessfully proposed an amendment to Oregon’s constitution to lower the state’s voting age to 16. That proposal received a hearing, but it died upon the legislative session’s adjournment. 

Supporters say bill promotes democratic process, opponents say youth lack maturity

Rep. Willy Chotzen, a Portland Democrat and bill sponsor, said the bill is a powerful tool to allow students to understand the democratic process. As of 2021, Oregon implemented a law requiring students to complete at least half a credit of civics to graduate.

“If we want an active, engaged and responsible set of Oregonians in the future, we can do that by encouraging them to learn civics and to participate in democracy, not just in the classroom, not just hypothetically, but at the ballot box,” Chotzen said. 

However, many Oregonians oppose the bill. For the bill hearing in the House Rules Committee, 150 letters of testimony were submitted in opposition to the bill while 211 were submitted in favor. 

Many of those who opposed the bill shared concerns that teens are not mature enough to vote and that they are more easily influenced by ads or peer pressure than adults. Others pointed out that while youth can drive and work, they still cannot purchase tobacco, guns or alcohol.

The bill has already received a public hearing on the House side, but it has yet to be scheduled for a work session, which is the next step needed to reach the House floor. It would have to pass both chambers before reaching the governor’s desk, where the governor can sign it into law, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature.