Welcome to the Vote16 New Jersey Playbook.
This hands-on guide supports the growing effort to expand local voting rights for 16- and 17-year-olds and gives you the tools needed to help you be part of it!
Vote16 is more than a policy idea. It’s a historic, once-in-a-generation movement driven by students, families and local leaders who believe young people deserve a say in the decisions that affect their lives.
One day, 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote statewide in New Jersey, most likely through pending legislation (A4369/S3240). If history has taught us anything, it’s that expanding voting rights takes time and persistence. But we don’t have to wait for the state to act! In New Jersey, advocates fighting for a higher minimum wage built momentum by organizing at the local level – passing local laws, raising public awareness and pushing local leaders to take a stand. The success of the local momentum eventually made the state pass a law to raise the minimum wage for workers statewide. In the same way, we can build power and drive change by lowering the voting age town by town, creating the pressure and proof needed to win statewide.
That’s where this Playbook comes in – to help you take action locally and build momentum for the Vote16 movement. Inside, you’ll find lessons from the Newark campaign – what worked and what didn’t; tips, strategies and reflections written by and for students; practical templates for organizing, legislation and outreach; and legal basics explained clearly and simply. Each section stands on its own, so you can jump to whatever part you need – whether you’re starting a local campaign, drafting an ordinance or getting out the vote.
Before diving in, it’s worth grounding yourself in why this work matters. As detailed in our Let Us Vote policy brief, voter turnout in New Jersey local elections is alarmingly low. In some school board races, participation hovers around just 3 percent and in certain municipal elections it barely reaches 4 percent. Both types of elections carry an enormous impact on young people.
School board elections determine who governs schools at the most immediate level, how public dollars are spent and how schools are run – from school lunches and safety policies to curriculum decisions and extracurricular opportunities.
Municipal elections shape the communities students grow up in, influencing everything from parks and recreation to libraries and even housing and neighborhood safety. Yet, against the backdrop of the dismal turnout in these elections among adults, the people most impacted by these decisions – young people – have no voice in the process.
At 16, young people are already active members of their communities. They drive, work jobs, pay taxes, care for family members and speak out at public meetings. They can even serve as poll workers. They are leading movements on climate change, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights and education policy.
Young people are not just ready to vote – they should have the right to.
Lowering the voting age will not only increase civic engagement and boost turnout in overlooked elections, but it will also build civic responsibility earlier and form good voting habits. Plus, it will make our democracy stronger, more inclusive and more representative of those it serves.
To get started, review the six core steps outlined below – they will walk you through a Vote16 campaign, from building support to passing an ordinance to turning out voters. You can read this Playbook from start to finish or jump straight to the step that will move your work forward.
Part I: Building the Movement: Organizing for Change – Start your campaign, bring others in and build local momentum that lasts.
Part II: Passing and Implementing a Vote16 Ordinance in Your Town – Learn how to draft and pass a local ordinance – and what to expect after it’s adopted.
Part III: Winning at the Ballot Box: Voter Engagement and Getting out the Vote (GOTV) – Get tools to register voters, educate your peers and turn out the vote.
Part IV: Your Vote16 Toolkit – Access templates, contact lists and sample language to help you organize and advocate more effectively
