YUCCA member Jazmin (and EC El Puente Leadership Academy Alum) speaks to the 16 Vote provision in the SB8 Voting Rights Act which also will expand Native access to voting and automatically restore the voting rights of those convicted of a felony who are not currently incarcerated, make Election Day a holiday and more. Read the article here.
In Santa Fe, Monte Del Sol Charter School teen Jazmin Rodriguez, 17, feels the same way. She recalled being frustrated last year as she helped register new voters for an election in which she could not cast a ballot. She will turn 18 in September and plans to vote for the first time in this coming November’s election.
She said not every young voter will be as interested or studied in the issues or candidates, and she expects many will not take advantage of the new opportunity if SB 8 becomes law. Still, she said, the opportunity is important.
“To have that representation in local government, to have us express our concerns and really exercise our democratic rights at this age is important,” she said.