In November 2024, 16 and 17 year olds in Oakland and Berkeley, California, made history by winning the right to vote for their school board representatives. This change was the result of years of organizing by youth who were tired of their voices being ignored at school board meetings. Thanks to a powerful campaign led by these young people, Alameda County lowered the voting age for school board elections, marking a significant milestone in youth empowerment. This victory sent a ripple effect all the way down to Southeast San Diego, inspiring young people here in our community to fight for the same rights.
San Diego Youth Ready to Fight for Change
Youth leaders in San Diego are working to launch their own campaign to lower the voting age for school board elections. These powerful leaders are part of PANA Youth Congress, a space for immigrant, refugee and first generation youth to influence policy and foster their growth into leaders who drive community change. PANA Youth Congress came to the realization that in order to get resources and support at their schools, they need leaders at the table who represent their vision, and they need to have a say in the process.
After presenting their requests to the school board, the youth felt like their voice was dismissed and not heard when they saw their recommendations were not implemented in the school board’s three year plan for the district; one of the school board members also rushed a speaker as she explaining what she and her peers needed. The school board member told this youth, “If you are going to repeat what the students in front of you said, just say, ‘I want to say the same thing.’
Their education campaign put forth by the youth consists of a college preparatory class during school hours for all seniors regardless of their GPA. This course would be an essential tool for students, especially first generation immigrants and refugees who don’t have the support at home when it comes to applying to college and navigating college life. Having already been involved in phone banking and canvassing during the general election, these youth understand the power of civic engagement. Their experience has fueled their desire to ensure that their peers have a voice in the decisions that impact their educational lives.
“When we worked on our education campaign it felt like no one listened to us and felt defeated, but with this new campaign I think it will be the building blocks for our voices to be heard,”, said Fathia Farah, a high school sophomore.
San Diego youth are clear about what they want: candidates who understand their struggles and will work to allocate the resources they need. Lowering the voting age would ensure that candidates speak directly to youth and address the issues that matter most to them, like mental health services, academic support, and better school facilities.
“Having board members speak to us directly on what they will do to make our schools a better place for us is what I believe would make a great impact for us,” said Farah.
This campaign could potentially add nearly 32,000 more voters to the city of San Diego. By lowering the voting age, youth would have the power to elect representatives who prioritize their needs and create policies that benefit them directly.
Whether it’s increasing funding for extracurricular programs or improving access to mental health care, this movement ensures that youth have a voice in shaping the policies that affect their day-to-day lives.
Oakland Youth Lead the Charge: A Victory for Civic Engagement
The push for lowering the voting age in Oakland began in 2019, when the Oakland School Board decided to cut essential support programs for students, despite youth speaking out at board meetings. This moment highlighted a larger issue: youth were being left out of decisions that directly affected their education and well-being.
Fueled by this sense of injustice and rejection from hearing all the no’s from school board electives, young activists in Oakland realized that if they wanted to ensure their voices were heard they must come up with a plan and strike while the iron is still hot. After four years of organizing, advocating, and gathering support from the community, these youth succeeded. In 2024, thanks to successful ballot measures, 16 and 17 year olds in both Oakland and Berkeley were granted the right to vote in school board elections for the first time.
For the youth who led the campaign, this was about more than casting a vote, it was about taking ownership of their education and ensuring that the resources and policies needed to succeed were being prioritized. Electing school board members who understood the issues youth face was a critical step in ensuring that the right changes were made. The victory in Oakland set a powerful precedent for other cities, proving that when young people are given a voice, they can create real change.
“After hearing the no’s from school board members to save the after school program we felt defeated, but we got together and organized to make change for not only us but the many students after us,” said one member of Oakland Youth Vote in a video online.
The Road Ahead: San Diego’s Next Steps
The youth in San Diego are not starting from scratch. As part of the PANA Youth Congress, they are enrolled in a political education academy, where they are learning the tools they need to run a successful campaign. Once the academy is complete, they will begin the process of drafting language for a ballot initiative to lower the voting age for school board elections and lobbying local officials to get it placed on the ballot. The goal is to have this issue on the 2026 primary election ballot.
In the summer of 2025, youth leaders in San Diego will launch a groundbreaking campaign to lower the voting age to 16 years old. Inspired by the successful efforts of Oakland youth, this campaign will unfold in three strategic phases.
Phase one will focus on rallying support from city council members to secure a spot for the measure on the 2026 primary ballot. This will involve youth-led power mapping — which is a tool used to identify key individuals or groups who have a significant influence on what youth need to win —, lobbying, and gathering signatures from voters in San Diego to get it official on the ballot for the 2026 election . Once youth gather 3-5% of signatures from voters and the city clerk verification process is complete, the ballot measure will be officially on the ballot and youth will roll out a Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign, leveraging phone banking, canvassing, and a powerful social media push to mobilize voters in support of the ballot measure.
If the measure gains approval in the primary elections, phase three will begin — the implementation phase. In this stage, youth will take the lead in registering their peers to vote by hosting school and community events. They will also work closely with the Registrar of Voters to ensure they understand the necessary steps to successfully register young voters.
“We are proud of our kids for taking the step to ensure that not only their voices are heard but the voices of their siblings that will turn 16 after them, and we will do everything we can to support them to get this on the ballot and a win at the end,” said Abdi Farah’s dad.
The Future Is Now
The victory in Oakland and the rising movement in San Diego are part of a growing nationwide effort to ensure that young people have a voice in their education. Lowering the voting age for school board elections is not just about casting ballots, it’s about giving youth the opportunity to make decisions about their future, take responsibility for the changes they want to see, and become active participants in civic life.
As Oakland proved, when youth are empowered to make their own decisions, the results can be transformative. The youth in San Diego are following that example, determined to create a system where their voices are heard and their needs are prioritized. If successful, this movement will change the way young people engage with politics, ensuring that they have the power to shape the policies that affect them and their futures.