The struggle to inspire youth political participation is as old as the Republic itself. The struggle to inspire turnout in Newark’s April elections is just as serious: less than 3% of registered voters turned out in 2024.
Last year, Newark approved a policy the city hoped would help with both issues: voting in school board elections for 16- and 17-year-olds. Proponents said the move would allow young people to have a stake in their educations—that stake could become especially effective in an election with such low turnout.
Gov. Phil Murphy and some legislative Democrats are hoping to expand the program statewide. In his budget address, he even announced a bid to allocate $1 million to help municipalities across the state implement the policy.
The first test of youth voting came Tuesday in the first-ever New Jersey election with youth voting: Of the 1,771 Newark residents under 18 who registered to vote, 67 of them, or 3.4%, voted. Voters under 18 slightly outperformed adult voters, of whom just 3.2% cast a ballot.
The New Jersey Institute for Social Justice estimates that roughly 25% of eligible 16- and 17-year-olds registered, according to ChalkBeat Newark.
Despite the low numbers, proponents say turnout rates aren’t the only factors that should be used in assessing the program. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), who spearheaded the policy during her time as president of the Newark City Council, said Tuesday’s election showed young people they can be active members of the political process.
“The importance of voting extends beyond participation rates,” McIver wrote on social media. “By granting voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds in school board elections, we acknowledge their role as active participants in the educational system and encourage early civic engagement. This move fosters a sense of responsibility and connection to the democratic process, laying the foundation for informed and engaged citizenship.”
Still, critics say the results from Tuesday don’t bode well for the program.
A senior Democratic policy official said the results have put the push for statewide implementation at risk, as well as the $1 million Murphy hopes to use to subsidize the cost in municipalities.
The City of Newark conducted most of the legwork in preparing the election, but the Secretary of State’s office said it spent $1 million to update the state’s voter registration system to allow for youth registration. Alicia D’Alessandro, a spokesperson for the office, said the cost was a one-time expense, and no similar updates will be needed if other municipalities implement youth voting.
In the aftermath of Tuesday, Republicans are pouncing. Some, like Assemblyman Mike Inganamort (R-Chester Twp), said the policy was an answer in search of a problem and possibly illegal (the program wasn’t challenged in court).
“This was a pointless experiment, void of any problem to be solved, and likely unconstitutional,” Inganamort wrote on social media.
Similar youth voting policies have been implemented in about a dozen cities across the country. Last year in Berkeley and Oakland, California, about a third of registered 16- and 17-year-old voters turned out—that was during a November election, though, and youth turnout lagged behind that of adults.
In 2013, in Takoma Park, Maryland, the turnout rate for 16- and 17-year-olds essentially doubled that of adults—but in that case, the teens were allowed to vote in all municipal elections, not just school board races.
Despite the doubts, the Murphy administration appears poised to continue its push.
“Governor Murphy was proud to see Newark’s 16- and 17-year-olds make history on Tuesday by casting their first-ever ballots in a school board election,” said Murphy spokesperson Kiran Sheth. “The Murphy Administration has built a legacy of expanding voting rights across the state and is hopeful for increased voter turnout in future elections. By encouraging students to become civically engaged, New Jersey is fostering the next generation of active participants and leaders in our democracy.”