Reply #8: MD: Voting By 17-Year-Olds Expanded

[livvy]

Voting by 17-year-olds expanded
Maryland's highest court gives them go-ahead to cast ballots in nonpartisan primaries
By Nicole Fuller | sun reporter
February 9, 2008

Maryland's highest court ruled yesterday that 17-year-olds may vote in nonpartisan primary elections.

The Court of Appeals ruling cements a Feb. 1 order in Anne Arundel Circuit Court that allows 17-year-olds who will turn 18 before the general election in November and who registered to vote by last month's deadline to cast ballots Tuesday in nonpartisan primary elections, such as those for county school boards and district judges.

The Court of Appeals ruled that voter eligibility provisions of the Maryland Constitution "are not in conflict" with the state's election law, which says that 17-year-olds who will be 18 before the general election may vote in the primary.

The court added that those 17-year-old voters may not vote in any "special or municipal" election, which in this election cycle would affect Washington County voters, whose ballots will contain a referendum question on the county's home-rule charter.

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http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.voting09feb09,0,1670885.story