BACKGROUND: 

We are working to lower the voting age in Missouri's nonpartisan local and school board elections to 16. 

We are accomplishing this by passing a referendum through the Missouri State Legislature that amends the constitution. Any constitutional amendment that is passed by the state legislature must be approved by a majority of voters, and that's where you come in! Check out the current text of our proposed amendment. 

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CURRENT LAW: 

Under current the current Missouri Constitution, voters are given the right to vote under Article VIII Section 2.

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VIII Section 2.  Qualifications of voters — disqualifications. — All citizens of the United States, including occupants of soldiers' and sailors' homes, over the age of eighteen who are residents of this state and of the political subdivision in which they offer to vote are entitled to vote at all elections by the people, if the election is one for which registration is required if they are registered within the time prescribed by law, or if the election is one for which registration is not required, if they have been residents of the political subdivision in which they offer to vote for thirty days next preceding the election for which they offer to vote: Provided however, no person who has a guardian of his or her estate or person by reason of mental incapacity, appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction and no person who is involuntarily confined in a mental institution pursuant to an adjudication of a court of competent jurisdiction shall be entitled to vote, and persons convicted of felony, or crime connected with the exercise of the right of suffrage may be excluded by law from voting.

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PROPOSED VOTE16MO AMENDMENT:

VIII Section 2.  Qualifications of voters — disqualifications. — All citizens of the United States, including occupants of soldiers’ and sailors’ homes, over the age of eighteen, or over the age of sixteen for municipal and public school board elections, who are residents of this state and of the political subdivision in which they offer to vote are entitled to vote at all elections by the people, if the election is one for which registration is required if they are registered within the time prescribed by law, or if the election is one for which registration is not required, if they have been residents of the political subdivision in which they offer to vote for thirty days next preceding the election for which they offer to vote: Provided however, no person who has a guardian of his or her estate or person by reason of mental incapacity, appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction and no person who is involuntarily confined in a mental institution pursuant to an adjudication of a court of competent jurisdiction shall be entitled to vote, and persons convicted of felony, or crime connected with the exercise of the right of suffrage may be excluded by law from voting.

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PROPOSED BALLOT LANGUAGE:

Do you want to amend the Missouri Constitution to allow 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in municipal and public school board elections only?