Culver City, California — Measure YV
The case against
Vote 16 Culver City
Encouraging student civic participation is admirable. But giving 16-year-olds the vote is a different matter entirely. Here's what supporters of Measure YV aren't telling you.
What supporters of Measure YV aren't telling you
Supporters have highlighted data that helps their case and suppressed information that doesn't. Here's the rest of the story.
Supporters say
Research shows that 16-year-olds possess adult-level reasoning ability in calm, structured situations (cold cognition). They are mature enough to vote.
The rest of the story
The same research finds that psychosocial maturity — the ability to resist peer pressure, exercise impulse control, and control emotions (hot cognition) — does not reach adult levels until after age 18. Voting is not a purely logical exercise. School clubs and cliques could use peer pressure and emotional appeals to organize what could easily become the largest voting bloc in Culver City.
Icenogle et al. (2019) "Adolescents' Cognitive Capacity Reaches Adult Levels Prior to Their Psychosocial Maturity: Evidence for a "Maturity Gap" in a Multinational, Cross-Sectional Sample"
Supporters say
16-year-olds are as informed as many adults.
The rest of the story
Voting policy is based on population-wide standards, not exceptional individuals. Many more 16-year-olds are still developing independent political identities and remain heavily influenced by parents, teachers, and peer groups.
Bergh (2013) "Does voting rights affect the political maturity of 16- and 17-year-olds? Findings from the 2011 Norwegian voting-age trial"
Supporters say
The voting age requirement is arbitrary.
The rest of the story
At 18, Americans become legal adults, can enter contracts, serve on juries, and join the military without parental approval. Lowering the voting age muddies this clear threshold for civic rights and responsibilities — with both known and unanticipated costs to Culver City taxpayers.
Supporters say
People who start voting at 16 become more engaged citizens.
The rest of the story
Research from Austria — where 16-year-olds have voted since 2007 — finds that newly eligible voters are no more likely to be civically engaged than any other age group.
Graf, Partheymuller, Bronner, & Kritzinger (2024) "Revisiting eligibility effects of voting at 16: Insights from Austria based on regression discontinuity analyses"
Supporters say
16-year-olds who work pay taxes and deserve a say.
The rest of the story
Culver City voters primarily vote on property taxes and business taxes. This has NOTHING to do with state and federal tax withholding. Few 16-year-olds own Culver City property or businesses. Approving this measure would allow teenagers to vote on measures that will increase your taxes and allowed pass-thru rent increases to you without having to face the consequences of their vote.
Supporters say
16-year-olds can get a driver's license in California. If 16- and 17-year-olds can drive, they should be able to vote.
The rest of the story
A 16-year-old Californian who passes their driver's test receives a provisional driver's license with specific limitations for the first 12 months — such as no driving from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., no passengers under 20 without an appropriate adult present. The Legislature recognized the pragmatic importance of driving for school, employment, and family responsibilities, especially in areas with poor public transportation. California's decision to permit provisional driving at 16 does not establish a general legal or scientific conclusion that 16 is the appropriate age for other rights or responsibilities.
Culver City already voted — twice.
Culver City citizens rejected the Vote 16 measure on the ballot in 2022. A petition to again place it on the 2024 ballot failed to gather the required 2,914 signatures — 10% of the electorate. Despite this, Mayor Freddy Puza cast the tie-breaking vote to put the SAME MEASURE on the ballot again in 2026. Yet when hundreds of citizens asked for the Overland Project to be put to a vote, Mayor Freddy Puza voted no.
Democracy should not be selectively applied at the whim of council members.
Learn more about Measure YV
Measure YV Text & Arguments
Read the official ballot language and arguments for and against.
Council Positions & Donations
Who voted to put Measure YV on the ballot — and who funded them.
Lifting the Veil
The political motivations behind the push to lower the voting age.
Vote 16 — Other Jurisdictions
How Vote 16 has fared in other U.S. cities and internationally.
Culver City deserves better.
Learn the full story, share it with your neighbors, and make your voice heard this November.