Judge refuses to disenfranchise young voter

A Superior Court Judge today authorized an 18-year-old whose voter registration appears to have gotten lost in the mail to cast his vote by provisional ballot.

The voter, whose name is being withheld to protect his privacy, told Judge William Mennen that he initially mailed his voter registration around March 22, well in advance of the May 20 deadline.  He said he filled out his registration form and that his mother mailed it for him.

Deputy Attorney General Alina Wells did not object to the man being added to the voter rolls.

“If there’s any further dispute later, that can be addressed, but this gives them the opportunity to vote without being disenfranchised,” Mennen said.  “Your vote gets put in the pile, it gets counted, and it’s just like nothing ever happened in terms of interrupting your right to vote.”

Mennen praised the first-time voter, a Republican, for exercising his constitutional right and obligation.

Studies have shown that turning away eligible voters once makes them less likely to return to the polls in the future.