Friends,
I’m sure you have all been closely following the results of Prop F, the historic San Francisco ballot measure to extend voting rights to 16- and 17-year-old for municipal elections. The department of elections website can be tough to fully understand, so we want to share an important update. Over 100 thousand votes remain to be counted. Currently, the measure has 47.3% support. This is an increase over the 44.5% it had when the first results, which included only absentee votes, were announced. We expect the number to continue to increase as more votes are counted. The city will continue updating the results today, and will likely finish counting all ballots next week.
We’re optimistic about the outstanding ballots and believe victory is still possible, but regardless of the outcome, we’re tremendously proud of this youth-led campaign. Over 150 San Francisco youth worked on the campaign this past week, contacting over 45,000 voters with a positive message about youth voice and improving civic participation and voter turnout in the long run. This was the first campaign experience for many youth, and their work on Prop F is a bright spot in an election season defined by politics at its ugliest.
Across the Bay, voters in Berkeley resoundingly approved Measure Y1 with 68% of the vote, meaning that 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in school board elections once the city council passes an ordinance to that effect. The entire council supports the issue and is expected to act on it soon.
Cross your fingers and stay tuned as the results from San Francisco continue to come in. We’ll have much more to share once everything is finalized.
Best,
Brandon Klugman
Campaign Coordinator, Vote16USA