Voting is a fundamental right of citizens in the United States, and the minimum age requirement for casting a ballot has been a topic of debate for many years. In San Diego County, the voting age requirement is 18, but there are efforts to lower it to 16 or 17. The federal voting age was set at 21 for about a century, until the 1960s when the military began recruiting young people to fight in the Vietnam War. This sparked a movement to lower the voting age to 18, which was eventually made permanent with the passage of the 26th Amendment in 1970. In recent years, there have been calls to reduce the voting age even further, to 16 or 17. Advocates argue that since 16-year-olds can legally drive and pay taxes, they should also be allowed to vote.
However, this idea has not yet gained enough widespread support. In San Francisco, a proposal will appear on the November ballot that would allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections. Across California, an effort is being made to allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary or special elections, as long as they turn 18 by the time of the general election. California voters will decide on Proposition 18 in November. In San Diego County, pre-registration does not change the voting age requirement of 18, but it does allow eligible Californians aged 16 or 17 to complete online voter registration.
For ballots received by mail, the ballot stub is used to ensure that voters receive a ballot with the correct choices, in the correct language, and with the correct inserts and envelope. The San Diego Board of Supervisors and Department of Media Information can be contacted for more information about voting in San Diego County.
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