Kauai voters are being asked if youth should be given more of a voice in how county government operates.

A charter amendment on the general election ballot proposes adding non-voting positions on all of Kauai’s boards and commissions for high school juniors and seniors who reside on Kauai.

The charter amendment came from Kawaikini Charter School senior La‘akea Chun, who originally proposed having a youth seat on the county’s Public Access, Open Space, Natural Resources Preservation Fund Commission.

That proposal was part of Chun’s senior project aimed at increasing civic participation and voter engagement.

In a letter to the Charter Review Commission last year, Chun wrote that while voter turnout in Kauai County lags behind past decades that saw turnout over 80%.

“If this trend is to change, the public needs to know how government is relevant and impacts their lives,” Chun wrote. “This needs to start early, and what better way to start than to involve students in a partnership.”

Chun was nominated to a seat on Kauai’s Charter Review Commission in April. Her proposal eventually evolved into the ballot question that would establish a seat for youth on all 14 of the county’s boards and commissions. The positions, like all of those on county boards, would be volunteer and unpaid. They would be appointed by the mayor and approved by the council.

“As you know there’s a lot of disenchantment among young people with the government,” Commissioner Jan TenBruggencate said. “The idea of getting kids interested and participating, I don’t think there’s a downside.”

The Kauai proposal is reminiscent of a charter amendment on Oahu in 2020 that established a Youth Commission. Bronson Azama was the commission’s first chairman.

While the commission doesn’t have power to enact laws, it has passed resolutions advocating for action on climate issues, the defueling of Red Hill and changes to Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation on homelessness.

Azama believes youth fill an important role in government by providing perspectives that other state leaders may not be exposed to. He recalled a townhall at an elementary school with Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

While the youth were worried about food security, the adults wanted to talk about pickleball courts.

“There’s a different outlook for our future with what young people think are priorities and what needs to be addressed,” Azama said. “I think that voice needs to be there.”