The council passed a similar home rule petition last November to allow non-citizen immigrants with children in Cambridge schools to vote in School Committee elections. That petition has not yet received state approval.
Members of the Youth Action Coalition said they think they have the needed support from the council, but that they will continue working to gather support.
Nearly 1,000 16- and 17-year-olds in Cambridge public schools, as well as a smaller number of students enrolled in private schools, would be given the franchise if the measure passed.
Heintz said he believes lowering the voting age is worth trying-especially in Cambridge, a community known for local political activism.
"This is a social experiment. It if would work anywhere, it would work in Cambridge," Heintz said. "There's a problem, and we think this is a viable solution."
-Staff writer Imtiyaz H. Delawala can be reached at delawala@fas.harvard.edu.