SFWPC firmly believes we should do all we can to ensure equitable representation in our city’s leadership and to encourage civic participation. With these principles in mind we wholeheartedly encourage our members to vote YES on ballot measures C & G.
YES ON Prop C: Removing Citizenship Requirements for Members of City Bodies Charter Amendment: A “yes” vote supports amending the city charter to remove the requirement that individuals serving on city boards, commissions, and advisory bodies must be U.S. citizens and registered voters, while still requiring those individuals to be of legal voting age and San Francisco residents.
If you take any trip around San Francisco the city\’s vibrant diversity is on display. We rank as not only one of the most diverse cities in the country, but we also have one of the largest immigrant populations of any major city — upwards of one-third of our residents are immigrants. These individuals are nurses, teachers, bus drivers, small business owners, parents, and a vital part of our community. We should not bar dedicated and civic minded residents from participating on boards simply because they are not a citizen. Allowing our non-citizen neighbors to serve on city commissions and boards will ensure diverse voices are present, and that the needs of everyone are heard and considered in important policy conversations.
YES ON Prop G: Youth Voting in Local Elections Charter Amendment: A “yes” vote supports amending the city charter to lower the voting age to 16 for local candidates and ballot measures.
SFWPC continues to support the SF Youth Commission and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ efforts to extend voting rights to 16 and 17 year olds in local elections. Generation Z is the most diverse generation ever and they are bucking the trend of non-voting among youth. Today’s young people are incredibly diverse, informed and empowered, leading fights for equity, criminal justice reform, environmental protections, and much, much more. Young people deserve to have a say in who their elected officials are and in the policies that will impact them in the coming years and decades. Moreover, the earlier individuals begin voting, the more they are likely to make voting a lifelong habit. Numerous cities across the county have already lowered the voting age for their local elections. If San Francisco passes this measure, which we genuinely hope it does, it would be the largest city to do so.
Links:
Sources:
- United States Census Bureau
- Public Policy Institute of California, Just the Facts: Immigrants in California, May 2019
- Advisor Smith, Most Diverse Cities in the U.S., June 24, 2020
- SF Public Press, Bay Area Cities Top List of Country’s Most Diverse, February 17, 2015
- National Youth Rights, Top Ten Reasons to Lower the Voting Age
- NPR, Young Activist Pushes To Lower Voting Age To 16 As \’The Logical Next Step\’ For Gen Z, September 28, 2020
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