5 20-0204 Subject: Amendment To City Charter Article XI, Adding Section 1106, Youth Voting
From: Council President Kaplan And Councilmember Bas
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution On The City Council's Own Motion Submitting To The Voters At The November 3, 2020 General Municipal Election, An Amendment To Article XI (Elections) Of The Charter Of The City Of Oakland To Add Section 1106 To Provide For Voting By Persons Aged 16 And Above For The Office Of School Board Director On The Oakland Unified School District Board, And Directing The City Clerk To Take All Actions Necessary Under Law To Submit This Item To The November 3, 2020 General Election
Youth and young people should have the right to voter on their representatives. This is a good motion to give voters the option to increase more youth leadership and civic engagement. Please put this measure on the ballot!
As a former youth of OUSD, this is a great opportunity for youth of Oakland to make an impact in their community. This is their education, let their voices be heard!
The benefits of this amendment are clear. Our school board will be improved by allowing those most directly effected by board decisions to have electoral boxes in the process. Additionally, we will he introducing Oakland’s youth to the electoral process and enduring lifelong voters. As a resident of District 2, I am appreciative of Councilmen Bas’s support and encourage the rest of the board to vote yes.
My name is Benjamin Salop, and I am a district one resident and the chair of the Oakland Youth Advisory Commission. I attend Oakland Tech, and I support this initiative also as one of the leaders from ACC. I ask you, the members of the Oakland City Council, to put apart support our youth-led movement, expanding democracy to empowered Oakland youth. Support the student-led measure as your student constituents ask of you, and not the amendment against our goals. I believe that Oakland Youth are ready to vote and get involved in their government, and this initiative (without the amendment) would allow us to exercise our power. We have worked for months with hundreds of students to share our passion, and in this fimal step, I urge you to support us and offer us voting rights. I think the City Council should support our student-led initiative because this program would allow my classmates, my community, and me the right to vote.
As a current OUSD student going into my sophomore year of High School I know me and my classmates are more than ready to be able to vote in Student Board elections.
I am 100% in support of expanding the youth vote to 16-year-olds. Cities that have already approved this change have seen an increase in youth voting turnout. Many decisions made by city councils and school boards directly impact youth -- and yet, they have no say in these decisions. You may say that youth can come to speak at public forums and civic meetings, but let's get real. Politicians don't really listen to people unless they have the power to vote. Our youth are very active community organizations and in building change in our communities. It's time they had the power to vote for candidates and ballot measures that support the change they work for. Vote yes to give our active and knowledgeable Oakland youth the power to vote. Jennifer Brouhard
My name is Gema Quetzal and I am a freshman at Stanford University. I believe that young people are capable of creating decisions. Youth are not the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today. They often are overlooked in decision making spaces that impact them. Youth should have a voice in elections so that decisions that are being made reflect the values of youth, not only adults.
Vote yes on Oakland Youth Vote
Anyone who opposes this obviously has not worked with our amazing Oakland high school students who are already leaders and have so much to contribute to our civic discourse. Inherent in their arguments is an ageism, classism, and racism that assumes our teenagers do not know anything or how to think for themselves. This couldn't be further from the truth, and youth who don't feel prepared will not necessarily vote. Many adults don't do their homework or make truly informed choices when they vote. Starting our young Oaklanders off early will only help engage them and expand the voter turnout and base of stakeholders in our city and school district decisions, which is good for democracy. With the support of our schools to objectively help them be informed of their choices and learn how to research and investigate the meaning behind their vote, we can set them up to be lifelong educated voters who know how to research the issues, which can only be better for Oakland.
I am in support of the Oakland Youth Vote. Youth are the experts of their own experiences and their voices are often left out and forgotten when it comes to making decisions that directly impact them. 16 and 17 year olds have proven themselves competent and capable of responsibilities such as working, paying taxes, and driving. They are also paving the way for social change by addressing issues on gun reform, education, and climate change.
I am asking you to stand with and support youth leaders by voting yes for the Oakland Youth Vote resolution.
Please vote YES to support youth voting and youth voice! I attended Oakland public schools all my life, and now work as a counselor at an Oakland public school. For me, being engaged in local politics was critical in my development as a responsible and informed resident. I want my students to have more opportunities for civic engagement and to feel more invested in their education. Please adopt this resolution and amplify the voices of our young people!
I believe that students should have the right and power to make decisions that directly impact them and their school experience. There have been a number of issues pertaining to OUSD's fiscal management and its current budget crisis; the decisions around these cuts and how to aggregate funding is determined by the school board who is not accountable to its own constituency. Students are the experts of their own experiences, and they have the right to determine who represents them on this governing body as an advocate student needs.
I'm a current student in the Oakland school district in my senior year of High School and I believe that me and my fellow classmates are more than ready to vote in school board elections.
I support Oakland Youth Vote without amendments.
-OUSD teacher
Youth and young people should have the right to voter on their representatives. This is a good motion to give voters the option to increase more youth leadership and civic engagement. Please put this measure on the ballot!
As a former youth of OUSD, this is a great opportunity for youth of Oakland to make an impact in their community. This is their education, let their voices be heard!
Oakland Youth need our support!
I support Oakland youth vote! They are our past, present and future!
The benefits of this amendment are clear. Our school board will be improved by allowing those most directly effected by board decisions to have electoral boxes in the process. Additionally, we will he introducing Oakland’s youth to the electoral process and enduring lifelong voters. As a resident of District 2, I am appreciative of Councilmen Bas’s support and encourage the rest of the board to vote yes.
Continue to support Oakland youth. Don’t let them down. Not now. They are our hopes and dreams for the future. HELP THEM TODAY!!!
My name is Benjamin Salop, and I am a district one resident and the chair of the Oakland Youth Advisory Commission. I attend Oakland Tech, and I support this initiative also as one of the leaders from ACC. I ask you, the members of the Oakland City Council, to put apart support our youth-led movement, expanding democracy to empowered Oakland youth. Support the student-led measure as your student constituents ask of you, and not the amendment against our goals. I believe that Oakland Youth are ready to vote and get involved in their government, and this initiative (without the amendment) would allow us to exercise our power. We have worked for months with hundreds of students to share our passion, and in this fimal step, I urge you to support us and offer us voting rights. I think the City Council should support our student-led initiative because this program would allow my classmates, my community, and me the right to vote.
Youth voice is more important now than ever!!
As a current OUSD student going into my sophomore year of High School I know me and my classmates are more than ready to be able to vote in Student Board elections.
I am 100% in support of expanding the youth vote to 16-year-olds. Cities that have already approved this change have seen an increase in youth voting turnout. Many decisions made by city councils and school boards directly impact youth -- and yet, they have no say in these decisions. You may say that youth can come to speak at public forums and civic meetings, but let's get real. Politicians don't really listen to people unless they have the power to vote. Our youth are very active community organizations and in building change in our communities. It's time they had the power to vote for candidates and ballot measures that support the change they work for. Vote yes to give our active and knowledgeable Oakland youth the power to vote. Jennifer Brouhard
I support Oakland youth vote! Their voices matter :)
My name is Gema Quetzal and I am a freshman at Stanford University. I believe that young people are capable of creating decisions. Youth are not the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today. They often are overlooked in decision making spaces that impact them. Youth should have a voice in elections so that decisions that are being made reflect the values of youth, not only adults.
Vote yes on Oakland Youth Vote
Anyone who opposes this obviously has not worked with our amazing Oakland high school students who are already leaders and have so much to contribute to our civic discourse. Inherent in their arguments is an ageism, classism, and racism that assumes our teenagers do not know anything or how to think for themselves. This couldn't be further from the truth, and youth who don't feel prepared will not necessarily vote. Many adults don't do their homework or make truly informed choices when they vote. Starting our young Oaklanders off early will only help engage them and expand the voter turnout and base of stakeholders in our city and school district decisions, which is good for democracy. With the support of our schools to objectively help them be informed of their choices and learn how to research and investigate the meaning behind their vote, we can set them up to be lifelong educated voters who know how to research the issues, which can only be better for Oakland.
I am in support of the Oakland Youth Vote. Youth are the experts of their own experiences and their voices are often left out and forgotten when it comes to making decisions that directly impact them. 16 and 17 year olds have proven themselves competent and capable of responsibilities such as working, paying taxes, and driving. They are also paving the way for social change by addressing issues on gun reform, education, and climate change.
I am asking you to stand with and support youth leaders by voting yes for the Oakland Youth Vote resolution.
I support Oakland youth vote without amendments.
Please vote YES to support youth voting and youth voice! I attended Oakland public schools all my life, and now work as a counselor at an Oakland public school. For me, being engaged in local politics was critical in my development as a responsible and informed resident. I want my students to have more opportunities for civic engagement and to feel more invested in their education. Please adopt this resolution and amplify the voices of our young people!
I believe that students should have the right and power to make decisions that directly impact them and their school experience. There have been a number of issues pertaining to OUSD's fiscal management and its current budget crisis; the decisions around these cuts and how to aggregate funding is determined by the school board who is not accountable to its own constituency. Students are the experts of their own experiences, and they have the right to determine who represents them on this governing body as an advocate student needs.
I strongly support youth voting for the school boar.
I'm a current student in the Oakland school district in my senior year of High School and I believe that me and my fellow classmates are more than ready to vote in school board elections.