First it was Newark.

Now New Jersey's second largest city, is pushing an ordinance to let 16 and 17 year olds vote in certain elections.

The proposal in Jersey City would extend beyond local school boards to all municipal wide elections.

It echoes an effort at the state level that has the support of Governor Murphy and other prominent Democrats, though not everyone is on board.

Some are skeptical teens don't have the maturity to make a quality choice without being swayed by their peers.

Senior political correspondent David Cruz takes a deeper look at the issue in the push for teenage enfranchisement.

Some Jersey city officials are trying to up the ante.

Musab Ali, a former board of Ed member and future mayoral candidate, says it's time for teenagers 16 and up to be able to vote not just for the board of Ed, but for city council and for mayor.

But as we saw before in Newark, when an ordinance to allow 16 year olds to vote in school board elections was approved.

Adults we talked to outside a polling place today were a little skeptical, but not entirely against it.

I think it's complicated.

I think, I think.

A lot of the way people communicate today, all the information is being given to people is can be, concentrated into one opinion.

So I question if the, the person who's 16 to 18 has that kind of maturity to be able to distill between what they really think or what they're being told to think?

Okay.

I like that idea.

They're the ones who are I mean, they're also so affected by the school board and obviously the rules that the mayor and the city council makes.

But I think we probably have to make sure we educate before it implements because, it can't be a joke.

It has to be serious.

Ali points out that wisdom doesn't come with age alone.

I talk to young people who are very well educated about issues and actually, you know, one of the best things about them, David, is they're very good at reading misinformation.

Right?

I know some uncles and aunts that I have that unfortunately sent around messages that we know are complete misinformation.

Right?

They just didn't grow up in the age of social media.

But young people understand what Mr. is and they can identify it very quickly.

Musab is an advisor to vote at 16, the statewide organization that's been pushing this issue in the legislature and getting support from Governor Phil Murphy.

Zachariah Boot is a cochairman of the group.

A lot of people are very, they they they they just they're just making decisions based off the candidate and not necessarily looking at the facts.

Whereas a lot of students, that they are researching, even when they don't have the chance to vote.

So then again, I say that if they're doing the research, if they're learning it in school, is let's give them the chance to vote.

This ordinance, which has not yet been formally introduced, goes beyond what a similar state bill would do.

The state bill allows for teens to vote in school board elections.

But officials here say doesn't specifically disallow them from voting in other local elections.

It creates an opportunity to really have a good, strong conversation about what it means to be civically engaged locally.

And I think from in the research that I've done, where cities and states have allowed in the United States and also abroad, it has done no harm.

And it's actually in gauged voters for a longer period of time, because when you're 16 and 17 voting in a local election, you understand how important your one vote really is.

It's also a great opportunity to bring civics back into the classroom, which has been sorely lacking now for quite some time.

Supporters say they've got the votes on the council to get the ordinance passed, hoping to have it take effect in 2026.

I'm David Cruz, NJ Spotlight News.