"Voting is not just a right but a civic duty, and extending this right to 16- and 17-year-olds will foster a culture of civic participation from an early age," Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said.
"This has never been done before in California and we had to make sure that it was done properly," Alameda County Registrar of Voters Tim Dupuis said, emphasizing the unique nature of this voting initiative.
The state already has a system that pre-registers 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, and their registration becomes active once they turn 18, allowing them to participate in local elections.
Though the goal of this new policy is to increase youth voter turnout, its effects won't be known until the polls close, and many minors may still opt not to vote.
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