Tell Every 17 Year-Old to Register Now: "You Can Vote in the February 12th Presidential Primary"

Maryland Elections Board Restores Party Primary Voting Rights

January 22, 2008 is the Voter Registration Deadline

 Annapolis, MD: The Maryland Democratic Party is announcing a statewide voter registration and education effort focused on 17 year-olds following a policy reversal by the Maryland State Board of Elections. With a new advisory from Attorney General Doug Gansler the board restored the primary election vote to all 17 year-olds who will be 18 years of age by the November 4, 2008 General Election.

"We're grateful to the board and Attorney General Doug Gansler for this decision. Now the Maryland Democratic Party has work to do," said Michael Cryor, Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. "With the help of our network of activist friends and organizations the Democratic Party will work tirelessly to educate and register 17 year-olds across the state starting right now."

Tonight the Maryland Democratic Party is sending e-mails to its vast statewide network of members and friends and encouraging them to share the good news with local groups, families, schools, student organizations and places of worship throughout Maryland. The party will be working closely with multiple organizations including the Young Democrats of Maryland, the College Democrats of Maryland and high school groups in this voter registration effort.  

Maryland Democratic Party officials want to ensure every eligible teenager knows they must register by January 22, 2008 in order to participate in the primary process that selects their party's nominee, regardless of party affiliation. However in Maryland, only those who register with a political party may participate in that party's primary process.

"We told the state board of elections that we want 17 year-olds to be able to vote in our primary in February and now the responsibility is ours to get them registered and to the polls," says Cryor. "We are going to take full advantage of this opportunity to spread the word and energize the voting process for our state's young people." 

"It's not every day you get to enfranchise 50,000 people," said Democratic State Sen. Jamie Raskin, a noted election law expert and a driving force behind the effort to change the election board's policy. It is estimated that there are 50,000 seventeen year-olds who would be eligible to vote in Maryland's Presidential Primary Election if they register in time.