THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2008
Students Favor 17-Year-Old Voting
By TROY BRUZEWSKI
Journal Reporter
A group of students at Maine West High School have made their statement regarding upcoming elections: We want in.
At the request of Journal & Topics Newspapers, the high school recently conducted an in-house survey of students in so cial science classes who would be eligible to vote in the next general election should the law be changed.
Of 258 students either cur rently 17-years-old, or would turn that age before the next election, 219 said they would participate in the election while 39 said they would not.
State Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie recently proposed a con stitutional amendment to allow 17-year-olds the right to vote in general elections. It was ap proved by the Illinois House of Representatives Elections and Campaign Reform Committee, by a 5-3 vote on Feb. 26. If made into law, it would make Illinois the first state to allow 17-year-olds to vote in general elections. Neighboring states Iowa and Indiana allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they turn 18 before the election. The amendment now waits in the Illinois House of Representatives for another round of voting.