Committee Report REGULAR CALENDAR February 6, 2019 REPORT OF COMMITTEE The Majority of the Committee on Election Law to which was referred CACR 5, AN ACT relating to the right to vote. Providing that 17 year olds who will be eligible to vote in the general election be permitted to vote on that election's primary election. Having considered the same, report the same with the recommendation that the bill OUGHT TO PASS. Original: House Clerk Cc: Committee Bill File MAJORITY COMMITTEE REPORT Committee: Election Law Bill Number: CACR, 5 Title: relating to the right to vote. Providing that 17 year olds who will be eligible to vote in the general election be permitted to vote on that election's primary election. Date: Fe ruary 6, 2019 Consent Calendar: REGULAR Recommendation: : OUGHT TO PASS STATEMENT OF INTENT This CACR modestly expands the voter registration privileges already extended to 17-year-olds by law in 2016. If voters adopted this CACR, the change would empower 17-year-olds to both register and then to vote in a primary, if they will be 18 years old by the clay of the general election. To allow this, the NH Constitution must be amended. Almost half of the other US states, including Maine and Vermont, do allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the time of the general election. We know that allowing I7-year-olds to vote in primaries does not violate the U. S. Constitution. However, prior efforts to allow them to so vote were determined to be impermissible by the current wording of Part One, Article 11 of the NH Constitution. Enabling citizens who can vote in a general election to vote in the related primary elections is only fair. Furthermore enabling 17-year-olds to vote in a primary, while they are still in school, will generate excitement and interest among their peers. Excitement about the first meaningful vote would likely cause the impact necessary to create the habit of voting. Developing the habit of voting has been deemed to be a key to future citizen awareness, activism, and personal participation. Vote 16-3. Rep. Wayne Moynihan FOR THE MAJORITY Original: House Clerk Cc: Committee Bill File REGULAR CALENDAR Election Law CACR 5, relating to the right to vote. Providing that 17 year olds who will be eligible to vote in the general election be permitted to vote on that election's primary election. MAJORITY: OUGHT TO PASS. MINORITY: INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE. Rep. Wayne Moynihan for the Majority of Election Law. This CACR modestly expands the voter registration privileges already extended to 17-year-olds by law in 2016. If voters adopted this CACR, the change would empower 17-year-olds to both register and then to vote in a primary, if they will be 18 years old by the day of the general election. To allow this, the NH Constitution must be amended. Almost half of the other US states, including Maine and Vermont, do allow 17-year- olds to vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the time of the general election. We know that allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primaries does not violate the U. S. Constitution. However, prior efforts to allow them to so vote were determined to be impermissible by the current wording of Part One, Article 11 of the NH Constitution. Enabling citizens who can vote in a general election to vote in the related primary elections is only fair. Furthermore enabling 17-year-olds to vote in a primary, while they are still in school, will generate excitement and interest among their peers. Excitement about the first meaningful vote would likely cause the impact necessary to create the habit of voting. Developing the habit of voting has been deemed to be a key to future citizen awareness, activism, and personal participation. Vote 16-3. Original: House Clerk Cc: Committee Bill File Election Law Committee Report Bill Number: CACR 5 Title: the right to vote Date: February 6, 2019 Consent Calendar : No Committee recommendation:Ought to Pass This CACR modestly expands the voter registration privileges already ex- tended to 17 year olds by law in 2016. If voters adopted this CACR, the change would empower 17 year olds to both register and to actually vote in a primary, when they would be 18 by the time of the general election. To al- low this the NH Constitution must be amended. Almost half of the other US states, including Maine and Vermont, do allow 17-year-olds to also vote in primaries if they will be 18 by the time of the general election. We know that allowing 17-year-olds to vote in primaries does not violate the U. S. Constitution. However, prior efforts to allow them to so vote were deter- mined to be impermissible by the current wording of the NH Constitution, Part First, Art. 11. Enabling citizens who can vote in a general election to vote in the related primary elections is only fair. Furthermore enabling 17year olds to vote in a primary, while they are still in school, will generate excitement and interest among their peers. Excitement about the first meaningful vote would likely cause the impact necessary to create the habit of voting. Developing the habit of voting has been deemed to be a key to future citizen awareness, activism, and personal participation. Committee Vote: 16 yes. 3 no Respectfully submitted for the majority, Wayne Moynihan REGULAR CALENDAR February 6, 2019 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The Minority of the Committee on Election Law to which was referred CACR 5, AN ACT relating to the right to vote. Providing that 17 year olds who will be eligible to vote in the general election be permitted to vote on that election's primary election. Having considered the same, and being unable to agree with the Majority, report with the following resolution: RESOLVED, that it is INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE. Rep. Kathleen Hoelzel FOR THE MINORITY OF THE COMMITTEE Original: House Clerk Cc: Committee Bill File MINORITY COMMITTEE REPORT Committee: Election Law Bill Number: CACR 5 Title: relating to the right to vote. Providing that 17 year olds who will be eligible to vote in the general election be permitted to vote on that election's primary election. Date: February 6, 2019 Consent Calendar: REGULAR Recommendation: INEXPEDIENT TOLEGISLATE STATEMENT OF INTENT This issue has been brought before us three times in past ten years. Amending the state constitution to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries, would lead one to believe that this will encourage that person to continue voting throughout life, No data has been submitted that shows that to be true. However, consider that this person is then turned away at the next election because it is not the general election but is the town or city election and he or she has not yet turned 18 years old. This could be disenfranchising to a young 17-year-old. One source reports that only 13 of our 50 states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries. Implementation and enforcement are also issues that will need to be addressed. It is the responsibility of parents and our communities to show children the value of their vote. Rep. Kathleen Hoelzel FOR THE MINORITY Original: House Clerk Cc: Committee Bill File REGULAR CALENDAR Election Law CACR 5, relating to the right to vote. Providing that 17 year olds who will be eligible to vote in the general election be permitted to vote on that election's primary election. INEXPEDIENT TO LEGISLATE. Rep. Kathleen Hoelzel for the Minority of Election Law. This issue has been brought before us three times in past ten years. Amending the state constitution to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries, would lead one to believe that this will encourage that person to continue voting throughout life. No data has been submitted that shows that to be true. However, consider that this person is then turned away at the next election because it is not the general election but is the town or city election and he or she has not yet turned 18 years old. This could be disenfranchising to a young 17-year-old. One source reports that only 13 of our 50 states allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries. Implementation and enforcement are also issues that will need to be addressed. It is the responsibility of parents and our communities to show children the value of their vote. Original: House Clerk Cc: Committee Bill File Merrill, Donna From: Hoelzel, Kathleen Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2019 8:47 AM To: Merrill, Donna Cc: Cote, David Subject: RE: blurb ( minority) on CACR 5 Importance: High Good morning , Donna Attached please find my minority blurb on CACR 5 This issue has been brought before us three times in past ten years. CACR 5 , 17 year olds voting in primaries, would lead one to believe that this will encourage that person to continue voting throughout life. No data has been submitted that shows that to be true. However, consider that this person is then turned away at the next election because it is not the general election but is the town or city election because he/she has not yet turned 18 years old. This could be disenfranchising to a young seventeen year old. Only 13 of our 50 states allow 17 year olds to vote in primaries. Implementation and enforcement are also issues that will need to be addressed. It is the responsibility of parents and our communities to show children the value of their vote.