16-Year-Olds Cast Ballots in Newark School Board Race

Almost 100 students from a Newark high school walked to City Hall on Monday to vote in the 2026 board of education election. Great Oaks Legacy Charter School kids left their Crawford Street campus to drop off mail-in ballots in what one teacher called a proud moment for the city.

Two years ago, Newark became the first city in New Jersey to lower the voting age to 16 for local school board elections. The march happened after months of student-led work through the school’s student advocacy club. Kids ran voter registration drives and took part in the Vote 16 campaign and initiatives led by the GEM Project.

“This was a proud moment for our school and for Newark,” said Jared Taillefer, CEO of Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, as per Patch. “Our students are learning that their voice matters right now.”

Taillefer, who lives in the city, also cast his vote Monday. “To walk alongside them, cast my own vote, and see them step into that responsibility was powerful,” Taillefer said. “This is what it looks like when a city invests in its young people and trusts them to help shape the future of their education.”

Outside of the city, the voting age remains at 18 in New Jersey. However, 17-year-olds can vote in primary elections if they will turn 18 by the general election.

In 2023, the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice released a report calling for lowering the voting age statewide for all elections. Some elected officials have supported lowering the voting age for school elections across the state, including former Gov. Phil Murphy.

“Newark has set a national standard for youth voting rights by allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in their local school board elections,” Murphy said. “Providing young people a say in issues that directly impact their lives is not only the right thing to do, but also helps make voting into a lifelong habit.”

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