August 14, 2018
The League of Women Voters of California has launched a new campaign to register and pre-register high school students to vote. We are working with our local Leagues across the state to empower students to play an active role in civic life. By engaging students aged 16+, we hope to give them confidence to be civically involved throughout their lifetime.
Currently, we are partnering with our Leagues in Los Angeles, Napa, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, and Ventura to reach a goal of 2000 high school students registered or pre-registered by November 2018. But we won’t stop at just registering students - we will also provide them the tools to show up on election day and vote with confidence. Our unbiased election resources that make voting easier for young people include:
- Our Easy Voter Guide which offers the basics of how, when, and where to vote along with info on the state ballot measures in multiple languages - perfect for the new and busy voter
- Our online voter guide, Voter’s Edge offers a comprehensive view of your entire personalized ballot by entering your address along with in depth info and your polling place
Engaging busy and nomadic students in the election process can be challenging so we’ll also be giving them the chance to get involved based on the issues that are relevant to them. We’ve partnered with NextGen America and Our Lives, Our Vote to let interested students learn more about issues like gun safety and how their vote directly impacts their communities on those issues. Even if students won’t be old enough to go to the polls this November, these voter registration drives will give them a head start when they get to college and join the workforce.
Are you a high school teacher or administrator?
Our volunteers are available to design a registration drive that meets the needs of your students and campus: we can give short presentations in government and economics classrooms, do outreach at school events, and table during lunch hours. eleslie [at] lwvc.org (Contact us now!)
Are you a student leader on your campus?
There are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved in high school registration drives on and off your campus. Student leaders can help by planning registration drives on your campus and by working with your teachers and administrators to facilitate events. There may also be opportunities for you to get involved directly with your local League of Women Voters. You may also be able to earn community service hours if needed. eleslie [at] lwvc.org (Contact us now!)
How else can you help get out the vote?
Add the Voter's Edge ballot look up widget to your website or blog.