Name: Benjamin Lees
Office Sought: Town Meeting Member Precinct 7
e-mail address: lees.benjamin [at] gmail.commichaelschanbacherlexpb [at] gmail.com (
)phone number: 781-492-8282

Community Activities: 

I have been a Lexington resident for about 32 years and attended our public school system from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Article 43 on the 2024 Town Warrant is asking if the Town will authorize and request the Select Board to petition the General Court of the Commonwealth for Home Rule Legislation to allow any citizens in the Town of Lexington, who have reached the age of 16 or older, to register and vote in municipal elections within the Town, or to take any action in relative thereto. Would you support this article? Why or why not?

I would support Article 43. Allowing 16-year-olds to vote would both give a voice to an important group of stakeholders, and increase the chance that young people will be engaged in town government throughout their lives. The current voting age of 18 is particularly unfortunate because many high school students turn 18 too late to vote in March. Those who go off to college immediately upon graduation end up missing out on the opportunity to vote in the town elections at the point when they would be most in tune with town life