Some older Bay Area teenagers may have a chance to make their voices heard in this election — even if it's limited.

Although they cannot vote in high-profile elections such as presidential or congressional elections, 16- and 17-year-olds in Oakland and Berkeley You can vote The upcoming school board elections will determine local government leadership and policies.

According to a joint news release, the vote was extended following the passage of Berkeley's Measure Y1 and Oakland's Measure QQ.

The state has already There is a system for pre-registering 16 and 17 year olds to vote. Officials said their registrations will become effective once they turn 18. The same system can be used to vote in local school board elections, but not for other elections scheduled at the same time, according to Alameda County election officials.

“We've never done anything like this before in California, so we wanted to make sure it was done properly,” Alameda County Elections Supervisor Tim Dupuis said in a statement. “I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for helping ensure 16- and 17-year-olds in Oakland and Berkeley can vote for their school board in November 2024.”

Four of the seven Oakland Unified School District board seats are up for election in November, and two seats are up for election in Berkeley Unified School District.

“Voting is not just a right, it is a civic duty, and extending this right to 16- and 17-year-olds will foster a culture of civic engagement starting at an early age,” Oakland Mayor Shen Tao said in a statement.

The new policy aims to increase youth voter turnout, but its effects won't be known until the polls close — and many minors may still choose not to vote.

“I personally am not that political, especially by today's standards,” said Naseem Bennett, a 17-year-old senior at Auckland University of Technology. Mercury News“But would I vote? I'll think about it carefully.”