Culver City teen voting measure trailing in early returns

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Set us as preferred A Culver City ballot measure that would give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in municipal and school board elections was trailing Thursday.Ballots still were being counted, but Measure YV was losing, with 55% of voters in Culver City voting against it and 45% voting for it, according to early results posted by the Los Angeles County Registrar’s Office.There were 7,875 votes against the measure and 6,487 for it as of Thursday — a margin of 1,388 votes.

Passage of Measure YV, which was championed by a group of high school students called Vote16 Culver City, would make the Westside city one of just a few municipalities nationwide, and among a handful in California, to expand voting rights to people younger than 18.The measure proposes an amendment to the city charter that would allow youth voters to participate only in school board and city elections.

They would not be able to vote in county, state or federal contests.The teenage proponents spent weeks canvassing for the measure in Culver City, despite having no power to cast ballots for it.

This is the second time the youth-vote initiative has been on the ballot in Culver City, where a similar measure failed in 2022 by just 16 votes.In 2024, a citizens’ initiative to lower the voting age failed to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.In February, the City Council, at the request of Vote16 Culver City, voted to put the measure on the November ballot.Supporters say that 16- and 17-year-olds who are old enough to work, drive and pay taxes are mature enough to have a say in local decisions that affect their schools, parks, public safety, transportation and other matters.

In California, they already are allowed to preregister to vote so that on their 18th birthday, they become automatically eligible to cast a ballot.“I feel really ...