New Voters: Some 17-year-old Can Head to the Polls This Year

by Christine Stuart | Jul 26, 2010 5:59am
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Posted to: Election 2010, Town News

For the first time, Nutmeggers who will turn 18 by Nov. 2 will be able to cast their votes in the Aug. 10 primary if they’re registered with a party.

Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz has been holding events in various towns these past few weeks to make sure 17 year olds know they have an opportunity to write history by voting in the party primaries.

The constitutional amendment took two years to come to fruition, since it didn’t pass the legislature in 2007 with anything more than a simple majority. It needed to be passed again by the legislature in 2008 before it was added to the November ballot. Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure in 2008.

There are currently 2,112, 17 year-old voters registered in Connecticut, according to Bysiewicz’s office.

“I worked very hard to have this amendment adopted and I am optimistic that it will expand the number of young voters interested in the democratic process,” Bysiewicz said last week. “In 2008, more than 157,000 citizens between the ages of 18-29 registered to voter. They accounted for the largest group of new voters.”

“I am encouraged by past participation of young voters and I am hopeful the new amendment will continue to drive the overall voter turnout in Connecticut,” Bysiewicz added.

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