skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Macron interrupts Trump, clarifies how Europe gave money to Ukraine; Trump administration faces lawsuits over oil and gas drilling; Delays in public EV chargers put NH tourism revenue at risk; Southern WV residents demand lawmakers address ongoing water crisis.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal employee performance reviews face a confusing moment, Congress debates voting rights, consumer advocates push to reinstate the CFPB, Canadian and Mexican import tariffs raise economic concerns, and environmental groups fight offshore drilling.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Taos County Sheriff says he won't conduct raids or round ups of immigrants, New Hampshire worries a dearth of charging stations will force tourists driving EVs to pick another vacation destination, and Southern states improve education with workarounds.

Empower Act in MA Extends Voting Rights, Allows for Ranked Voting

play audio
Play

Monday, June 26, 2023   

Legislation dubbed the Empower Act in Massachusetts would allow municipalities to lower the voting age and use ranked choice voting for local elections.

Town councils could vote to extend voting rights to residents as young as 16 without having to submit a petition to the state for home rule.

Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said most 18-year-olds are in transit -- off to school or the military -- making it harder to create a habit of voting.

"We think 16 or 17 is a much better time to get folks involved because they're so plugged in locally," Foster explained.

Foster contended the bill would boost historically low voter turnout for local elections, but opponents countered teenagers are not mature enough to make informed political decisions. When Takoma Park, Maryland, became the first city in the nation to allow 16-year-olds to vote in town elections, the turnout rate for teenagers exceeded any other age group.

Voting-rights advocates said ranked choice voting is a great next step for elections in the Commonwealth, allowing residents to vote based on a candidate's platform versus their electability. Foster emphasized ranked choice voting also expands opportunities for people to run for local office without hurting other members of their party.

"In this formula, they could both run and folks could still pick between them their preference, but they're not really canceling votes out from one another."

Foster added municipalities using ranked choice voting also see a more representative governing body of the voting population, ensuring minority groups have representation on local councils, which he argued is better for democracy.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Concentrated animal feeding operations are major polluters of the air and water, yet less than a third in Illinois have National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits, which are required when discharging livestock waste. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Illinois is known for having some of the weakest environmental laws for concentrated animal feeding operations, with a lack of oversight and public …


Environment

play sound

Several environmental groups concerned about increased offshore drilling have a filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit …

Environment

play sound

A 1,086-acre property in Putnam County has been secured as part of the ongoing effort to protect the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor, a critical …


Social Issues

play sound

Tax season is here and North Carolinians should find the relevant financial documents to ensure filing their returns is as smooth as possible…

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said after nearly two decades of stagnation, electricity demand is starting to grow and is not expected to slow at all in the coming years. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

South Dakota is cited in a new report which argues to avoid an energy crisis, America needs to have a shared vision of what a strong power grid looks …

Health and Wellness

play sound

New research found most Connecticut residents support creating a family caregiver tax credit. The state has 420,000 family caregivers, providing a …

Social Issues

play sound

By Wesley Brown for the Arkansas Delta Informer.Broadcast version by Freda Ross for Arkansas News Service reporting for The Arkansas Delta Informer-Wi…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021