Gov. Brown: Voting At 16 “Makes Sense”

Portland, Ore. (KXL) — Oregon Governor Kate Brown is throwing her support behind the effort to lower the state’s voting age.

As Gov. Brown took questions at a bill signing ceremony today in Salem, she said she thinks, “it makes sense to have 16-year-olds vote in this state”.

She went on, saying, “hopefully we get to have that conversation with Oregonians across the state.”

Many Oregon lawmakers have been pressing hard to put the issue before voters in 2020.

If Oregon lowers the legal voting age from 18 to 16, it would become the first state in the U.S. to do so.

There is a caveat, however.  If Oregon lowers the voting age to 16, these young new voters would most likely only be eligible to vote on  state and local issues and not on national items.

Currently, federal law mandates the voting age be 18.