Calling all Massachusetts residents! A bill was just introduced in the MA state legislature that would allow cities and towns to lower the local voting age to 16 or 17 if the local government wishes to do so! Currently, cities and towns that wish to lower the local voting age need to get specific approval from the state legislature through an arduous process known as the “home rule petition” process. The EMPOWER Act does away with this barrier and gives local governments the option to make and implement the decision to lower the local voting age to 16 if they wish to do so.