AUGUSTA – A bill to give 17-year-olds the right to vote in Maine primary elections received initial approval after a brief debate Tuesday in the House of Representatives.

The measure, approved by a 73-70 tally, faces further House and Senate votes.

The bill initially called for a state constitutional amendment to lower Maine’s voting age by a year to 17.

The amended version approved Tuesday allows a prospective voter who is not yet 18, but will be at the time of a general election, to vote in the preceding primary. It would not allow 17-year-olds to participate in presidential caucuses under similar circumstances.

A supporter, Rep. Glenn Cummings, acknowledged it would have been “extremely difficult” to muster a two-thirds vote that would have been needed to lower the voting age outright.