Elections Passed General Election
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PEAPAC Recommends: NO

Biblical age of adulthood/civic responsibility is 20 (Num 1:2); decentralization is biblical; federal 18-year-old voting age was an error.

Summary

Lowers the voting age for school board elections from 21 to 18.

Biblical Reasoning

In the Bible, the age of adulthood as it relates to civic responsibilities is set at 20. At that age, men were expected to serve in the militia (Num. 1:2,3; 26:2), were numbered for a head tax (Ex. 30:14), were included in the Levitical census of liturgical servants (2 Chr. 31:17), and moved from the valuation of a child to that of an adult for oath purposes. (Lev. 27:1-3, 6).

The Scriptures also favor a somewhat decentralized form of civil government ( 1 Sam. 8; Ex. 18:25,26; Dt. 1:15; 2 Chr. 5:2) , in which tribal or regional units were basically self-governing. While a king is envisioned for God’s people in Deuteronomy 17, he was not to be the sort of centralized king like the nations around Israel had (1 Sam 8:5ff ).

Numbers 1:2-3 — “At that age, men were expected to serve in the militia”
Numbers 26:2 — “At that age, men were expected to serve in the militia”
Exodus 30:14 — “were numbered for a head tax”
2 Chronicles 31:17 — “were included in the Levitical census of liturgical servants”
Leviticus 27:1-3, 6 — “moved from the valuation of a child to that of an adult for oath purposes.”
1 Samuel 8 — “The Scriptures also favor a somewhat decentralized form of civil government”
Exodus 18:25-26 — “The Scriptures also favor a somewhat decentralized form of civil government”
Deuteronomy 1:15 — “The Scriptures also favor a somewhat decentralized form of civil government”
2 Chronicles 5:2 — “The Scriptures also favor a somewhat decentralized form of civil government”
Deuteronomy 17 — “While a king is envisioned for God’s people in Deuteronomy 17”
1 Samuel 8:5ff — “he was not to be the sort of centralized king like the nations around Israel had”

Election Results

73%
27%
YesNo

Voters approved lowering the school board voting age to 18 (73% Yes).

Full PEAPAC Analysis

PEAPAC Explanation: No doubt this measure will pass nearly unanimously. We recommend, however, a No vote, in hopes that a growing number of Oregonians will think through the implications of the Bible’s teaching on adulthood, war and local self-government.

The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1971, set a national uniform voting age of 18. Interestingly, Oregon led the fight to let the States set the voting age for state elections. Oregon won this battle when the US Supreme Court ruled in its favor in Oregon v. Mitchell, 1970. This prompted Congress to create the 26th Amendment. The primary argument in favor of the 26th Amendment was the Vietnam War and the drafting of 18 year olds to fight in that war.

In the Bible, the age of adulthood as it relates to civic responsibilities is set at 20. At that age, men were expected to serve in the militia (Num. 1:2,3; 26:2), were numbered for a head tax (Ex. 30:14), were included in the Levitical census of liturgical servants (2 Chr. 31:17), and moved from the valuation of a child to that of an adult for oath purposes. (Lev. 27:1-3, 6).

The Scriptures also favor a somewhat decentralized form of civil government ( 1 Sam. 8; Ex. 18:25,26; Dt. 1:15; 2 Chr. 5:2) , in which tribal or regional units were basically self-governing. While a king is envisioned for God’s people in Deuteronomy 17, he was not to be the sort of centralized king like the nations around Israel had (1 Sam 8:5ff ).

We believe the US Congress erred in drafting 18 year olds, then erred in setting the voting age at 18, and further erred by mandating that states extend a federal voting age of 18 to all state elections. Because this Measure amends our state Constitution, it had to be referred to the voters by the Oregon Legislature. We recommend a No vote as a way to address the important issues raised above.

← PreviousMeasure 50 (2007)