City weighs lowering voting age to 16 as election policy digest tracks youth voting rules

Ballotpedia's weekly election policy digest examines youth voting and preregistration laws, including a city's consideration of allowing 16-year-olds to vote. It also reports that lawmakers in three states acted on 12 election-related bills last week, with none enacted. The digest notes a Montana judge blocked a 2025 law requiring a date of birth on absentee ballot applications and ballots.

The weekly digest reports that five state legislatures were in regular or special session. It is tracking 4,691 election-related bills nationwide. Of the 12 measures acted on last week, six were in Democratic-trifecta states, six in divided-government states, and none in Republican-trifecta states. Voter registration and list maintenance was the most active category, with four bills.

In Montana, a judge blocked a 2025 law that required a date of birth on absentee ballot applications and submitted ballots. Disability Rights Montana and Big Sky 55+ challenged it. Judge Mike Menahan ruled it violated the state constitution’s right of suffrage. The state had argued the requirement supported election confidence and fraud prevention.

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