Connecticut Creativity

So last Wednesday I blogged about a proposed constitutional amendment being voted on in Connecticut’s General Assembly that would authorize seventeen-year-old citizens who pre-register to vote and who will turn eighteen on or before Election Day to vote in the primary for the general election.

The amendment fell 9 votes short of the three-quarters vote needed to help put it on the state-wide ballot next year. A group of young Democrats accused politicians of panicking and changing their votes to no when the bill looked like it was going to pass. (Lawmakers in Connecticut's General Assembly are able to change their votes as often as they want before they're recorded.)

Well, in a great show of creative user-generated content, Lon Seidman (former campaign manager to Congressman Joe Courtney) and the Connecticut Young Democrats put together a YouTube video berating the flip-flopping lawmakers.



And check out news coverage it got...



HT to Future Majority

Common Sense Connecticut

Today could be the day when Connecticut's 17 year olds become a step closer to voting in the primaries. Word on the inside is that bill is going to be run today. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the video 411 and here's my 411:

In a show of common sense voting reform, Connecticut’s General Assembly is considering a constitutional amendment to the Connecticut Constitution which would authorize seventeen-year-old citizens who pre-register to vote and who will turn eighteen on or before Election Day to vote in the primary for the general election. “Connecticut should be among the national leaders when it comes to voting rights,” said Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz (D). “Giving 17 year-olds the right to vote will increase turnout, make political candidates more accountable, and address a shocking inequity in our laws that allows a 17 year-old to enlist in the military but not vote.” Not only would lowering the voting age to seventeen for primaries increase voter participation among young people, but it would help create life-long voters since we all know thatvoting is habitual.

Here's an article by Susan Bysiewicz, the CT Secretary of the State and James F. Spallone, a state representative for Chester, Deep River, Essex and Haddam; he is an assistant majority leader and member of the Government Administrations and Elections Committee.