COLUMBUS (AP) – An attorney for Ohio’s elections chief has told a judge that allowing 17-year-old voters to have a say in Tuesday’s presidential primary would cause chaos for local elections boards.
State law allows 17-year-olds who will be 18 before the fall election to vote in the primary. But a manual for elections officials issued last year by Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted says 17-year-olds can vote “solely on the nomination of candidates” — and not in the presidential contest “because delegates are elected and not nominated.”
A Washington, D.C.-based voting rights organization is suing Husted over the policy on behalf of nine 17-year-old registered voters.
A Franklin County judge held a hearing in the case Thursday.
The teens’ attorney says boards could easily adjust their instructions to the young voters.