Leah Gimbel is now a wise old 18 in the eyes of the country’s voting-age laws. She argues that by 16, she already had a stake in decisions affecting her community and the intelligence to participate in decision-making.
“At age 16, it’s common that kids are given a lot more rights,” said Gimbel, who recently graduated from the Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School. “Sixteen-year-olds have the rights to have a say in the community.”
Gimbel and around a dozen of her peers gathered Monday evening at the New Haven Green for a rally promoting The New 18, their advocacy group, a largely student-run campaign to have the voting age in Connecticut lowered to 16 (making it “the new 18”).
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Last year the state changed its constitution to allow some 17 year olds to vote in a party primary, if they will be 18 before the General Election.
