Did unanimously picked a resolution encouraging students to exercise their right their Voting Rights in the means we have set up a mechanism in which to teach Voter Registration, Voter Education, to our students in american democracy classes also have a mechanism in which to register them to vote. Testifier i want to say thank you to supervisor avalos for bringing this for kids incredible to see the leadership of our young people, of our Youth Commission, and to see actualize here today for the full Commission Meeting with the board of supervisors. I think theres any doubt in her mind our young people are prepared to exercise their voice in our elections, it is proven that through this process and the way they practice forward. They demonstrated how serious they are. It shall not just ready but theyre already leading in their communities, and so we as School District, we witness their leadership and brilliance every day. We know they are prepared for this. We know that we need their voice in our City Governance and were also prepared at the School District to make sure that we are registering young people to vote in our classrooms, when their juniors and seniors in high school and we are preparing them to integrating into our curriculum the Voter Registration process, the local election process american democracy so that we really actualize the two benefits of this opportunity, which is to have our wind people up when their 16 and 17 all the young people who are here who are students to actually have them with us so we can support them in their participation because we know we need your voice and your there so many more reasons when even on tonight as to why not only should we do this we need to do this. This is a huge opportunity for San Francisco to lead answer event unified School District is fully in support. Testifier id also like to mention when we see our students and visit the classrooms and if you havent i encourage you to do so. We see brought with it we see students engaged. We see students interested. We also see students that are anxious to vote to represent their families when some members of their family cannot vote. So, to have this voice in municipal elections, its really strong statement, i think to say that we include the voices of everyone in our democracy and also our students, young voters are more we found Research Shows there is a voting is that the average age of a voter is 46 years old and i think reaching should change the get Civic Engagement starts early in his recent are used off to college of even more active as college students. Bob is added knowledge of their responsibility to be part of the governance of where they live and also, i encourage them to activate to the school Board Members. President breed i see the director of elections johnjust wanted to thank you for being his. Testifier i dont have anything prepared to include voters who are under 18. Week if we could it would take a lot of change in the process and in the Registration System we have. Everything is based on voters being 18 and over. So, even a database that holds the information from which we draw information for formatting the ballots and reporting results have to undergo some modifications. The challenge there and why we cant get a cost at this point is the state now is about to implement a statewide database. Its not just a local registration pool of information but statewide pool of information. As we are pulling the data to run elections for locally for a certain set of voters, that have to be modified at the state level much is locally. Im sure well have to figure out how to modify the roster of voters, the poll workers, giving some cards to certain sets of voters versus giving all cards to voters. So there will be some things to work out to going forward, but as we move forward we can probably get a cost estimate once we get a sense of what needs to be changed as far as the registration database and things like that are concerned. President breed to a followup question. To be clear, i realize that you for passing this on a local level that means that on the state and federal level we would not be able to allow 16 and 17yearolds to vote in those particular elections and would need to have separate ballots for local measures and local candidates only . Testifier correct president breed so you would need to make changes to the system . Testifier yes president breed would this be a problem with the state secretary of state treat you how we done work with communicating with the secretary of state of whether or not we can legally do this they would challenge our city if we move this forward . Testifier no. Right now the statewide database is just now being implemented so the impetus has been to get that database developed and get it started statewide. There has not been conversation about modifications and also any sort of legal potential restrictions by making modifications on the local level on the statewide system. No, the answer is no. President breed answers no, we have not testifier i have not approached the secretary of States Office at this time asking if the database or if voting restrictions because of a 16 or 17yearold border base in San Francisco. Speak president breed thanks. Supervisor avalos president breed supervisor avalos have you got an estimate of the number of people who be registering to vote are at as 16 and 17yearold in San Francisco . Has a been a number even look at . Testifier no supervisor avalos i think they found it to be about 13,000 people testifier i think we came up with that number ourselves looking at census information and thats an estimate. I dont know the Youth Commission i dont know how we came about the number. So, right now it seems like a good estimate would be 1013,000. Supervisor avalos whats the overall number of people in San Francisco from how many people testifier 450,000 supervisor avalos so 10,005 four 50,000, which is what less than 1 . I think its important to note with the Youth Commission presentation, the focus is really on increasing turnout and civic participation in our elections. That is really what were trying to do with this small number of people per election cycle, is to ensure they get into the habit and have the experience of voting when theyre in a Stable Community and stable household when theyre in school with these these things happening. I just want to make sure the message that the number its a small number. Thats political is greater participation. President breed thank you supervisor avalos supervisor cohen supervisor cohen thank you for joining us in the special meeting conniving at the store, right supervisor avalos . First of its kind. Director, could you might attach on the so little bit in your answer to president breed squash made him a little more interested in the process how we would implement Something Like this. Im also very sensitive to the cost associated tohim him and tina spoke it am wondering, we have not talked about the right to vote will they also have the ability to contribute to campaigns as well . Testifier that latter question, i dont. I would be more of a ethics question. Supervisor cohen how do we implement such a system . Testifier we have to run two elections essentially. So, we have to separate out the folks who are under 18 and voting only for local offices and develop materials and ballots for those voters specifically. Supervisor cohen were taught what the voter pamphlet, right . Would be a special ballots also be just issued to be young voter . Testifier it was not consolidated election, no but yes it was not a consultant election, yes, we have to separate out your princes this june primary upcoming, we have local measures but we also federal and state offices. So we have to separate the local from the states and the federal. I dont know how fari guess it would Cover Committee college as well. I dont know. So you give me called were included in this Charter Amendment they would go into the local but if it didnt have the have to be separate as well. Then, in the joes recent two voters would probably have to be modified to give the correct information. You dont want to give people the sense that all the information on the ballot is available to them if only certain amount is. So we probably have to develop a different sort of voter guide. Then, the process of the polls we have to look at that because the poll workers have to be able to know what ballot to give to which voters. So, really the whole voting process would have to be reviewed and be a lot of modifications along the way to put this into effect. Supervisor cohen how quickly would be able to implement a system like this . Testifier not this year. Really, for me, right now were right in the middle of the president ial cycle with 27 thing is really when we can begin to look at this. Supervisor cohen handwaving into cost out or get any cost estimates on what the additional cost will be to implement a system . Testifier not real. I dont want to throw a number out to. [[inaudible] the Younger Voters. Supervisor cohen other Younger Voters in the database three give you have to be registered right . Testifier right now they can register but there in a pending status until theyre 18 until theyre eligible to vote. I know very can be entered into the system but are not active voters. We have to change that survey would be active. But a different category of active versus now how the system is set up president breed thank you. Supervisor tang supervisor tang its exciting to see the youth here with us today. And to be able to sit with all of you actually on the board of floor. I want to thank our board for making that happen. I do consider myself a Youth Commissioner of sorts on this board having joined at age 29. But, i do have a couple of questions. I think this might be directed more towards the school Board Members. So, i know the was a resolution passed regarding the american democracy curriculum and i just want to can ask, this is of course sought 19 year year of high school is that accurate . Testifier american democracy is normally taught in senior year. Supervisor tang i guess my followup question would be, would it be concerned that as we are trying to develop a curriculum to prepare our students to be able to actively participate in elections earlier on in their life, that this is not senior and potentially they would have to move on to college but he shortly thereafter. So, is there a way to potentially prepare students even earlier than that . Testifier absolutely pure we many required courses in civics. For example our us history last week it interjected in a. Our students are also eligible to take ethnic studies that include, could include, Voter Education component to it also. Commissioner haney testifier yes. I think theres other things we can do we have assemblies were reregister post about we could do boater education we can bring people in. I think we would integrate specifically into the american democracy course in detail and also try to put it into other courses and have other opportunities throughout the school year to be able to provide both of Voter Education and Voter Registration. Testifier i think its important to note we also do [inaudible] that has been started in High School Years not just for seniors. Supervisor tang thank you very much president breed thank you supervisor tang. Supervisor weiner supervisor wiener thank you matter president. Also, welcome to the Youth Commissioners. Its great to have a really full chamber here today. So, a couple things. Some comments in terms of the question of director. Because we are very unlikely to have an election in 2017, we dont have election currently scheduled in 2017, thanks to the Charter Amendment replaced on the ballot in the voters overwhelmingly passed, i believe between if this were to pass in november that apartment would have 19 months to prepare. Is that right testifier i did read the amendment before i came up here actually. Supervisor wiener if this Charter Amendment were to pass, assuming there are local elections, local offices in june 2018 now, if this were to pass in november of 2016, because we dont have election and 20 something you basically have a year and a half, plus at minimum to prepare whatever systems it you need to have in place to administer 16 and 17yearold voting . Testifier yes. Theres no federal elections and 27. Supervisor wiener if it would be a special election that could change things. Then, in terms of separate ballots, right now its because theres still too close primaries for Party Central committee for president s, you already have to prepare the separate ballots and poll workers have to determine that it is this get eight republican ballots were democratic ballot or green party ballot. So different people haveeveryone gets a certain portions of the ballot different people do different portions on the right . Testifier yes supervisor wiener with is the measurably different from that . Always these different criteria but in terms of having some people get her next page were different page . It doesnt seem that different . Testifier no, its similar to what occurs now. But it would be more stuff for the poll workers to handle and also for the polls to receive. Again, im not saying its impossible, saying theres nothing similar but it will be a change in many cases. Supervisor wiener itll definitely be a change. My own view is that whatever you on the merits ofthe administration of it does not strike me as particularly problematic. Testifier okay supervisor wiener on that one doing it oh of course. You guys do a great job. Thank you. President breed thank you. Supervisor campos supervisor campos . I just want to briefly, again, echoing comments made the comments of my colleagues welcomed the Youth Commission to the board of supervisors chamber. It is history in the making and a very proud. I know my own district Youth Commissioneras i look at this issue and i know that many my colleagues of how we question the rise, in terms of the viability and legality of this issue i think were plenty of time, as supervisor weiner noted, if this makes it is about, but i think its also about, for us, much as whether specifically agree with this substance of the proposition, but whether or not you agreed voters should have the ability to decide and placing it on the ballot could it does not mean you actually endorsed the idea. My hope is that people will endorse the idea could i certainly endorse it and support it, but i think beyond that, i think the key thing here is, should voters in San Francisco have the ability to decide whether not this make sense for San Francisco and i think perspective of where you format, that we should err on the side of giving voters a chance. Thats what i hope happens eventually. President breed thank you supervisor campos. Supervisor cohen [adjournment] question two deputy City Attorney john gibner. I think this is a good interesting debate policy discussion we are having. But i do have some questions about the legality. We had from the director we have not quite checked in with the[inaudible] and the california constitution requires a person be 18 years of age or older in order to vote. Courts previously determined local governments cannot expand or extend this part of the conversation, extend the right to vote those who are not granted the right in california state constitution. So just so they can choose to restrict that we cannot choose, localities cannot choose to include or disenfranchise were in franchise, those rights to of under the california constitution it could you please opine on this particular legislation . Testifier deputy City Attorney john gibner. As with all ordinance and Charter Amendment and proposed ballot measures considered by the sport, my office will approve any proposal as performed if it can be defended with arguments and courts. As you know, our office sign this piece of legislation and you can take that as an indication that it is legally defensible. We regularly provide the board with confidential written advice in advance of hearings on any legal issues that have come up in public discussion, or that we have uncovered in our research and, of course, the question of the california constitution setting the voting age of 18 question has been raised in the context of this Charter Amendment. We decided to [inaudible] confidential i think thats all i can say. President breed thank you supervisor stan. Supervisor peskin supervisor peskin members of this body and the Youth Commission, this isim delighted president breed you rise to supervisor peskin i do like. Im delighted we voted unanimously to oldest joined him. I cannot member any other time in my decade and a half in and out of this body that we held joint hearings with any other body. As ive been thinking about this, and i come to this i do not talk to a few of my colleagues without violating the brown act, i come to this with an inclination to vote against it, but as i said to somebody if 50 open mind. I think about this in the long arc of history, where we live in a country where at a certain point in time, only Property Own