A Catalyst for the Youth Vote: High School Voter Registration Week
The Civics Center started High School Voter Registration Week four years ago for three reasons:
We knew from experience that almost no one spoke of “High School'' and “Voter Registration” in the same breath. When people talked about youth voting, it was almost always in connection with college students. That 70% of U.S. teens can preregister as early as 16 or 17, was almost unknown.
In most communities, there is no tradition of implementing voter registration as part of high school life. We wanted to bring life to the laws that already allow young people to register to vote when they are in high school. We wanted to help establish a tradition, a dedicated time for students, educators and parents, as well as allies and partners in the civics education and voter registration spaces to team up, take action, share resources and inspire change.
We wanted to marry the school calendar to the election cycle. Many states have deadlines to register as early as one month before Election Day. Others do not allow registration until students are close to age 18. Either way, the start of a new school year is an ideal time for teens to take action, either to encourage registration or to build awareness for registration efforts later in the school year.
This year, we decided to align HSVRW with National Voter Education Week (October 2-6), because it was an opportunity to educate anyone with an interest in strengthening our democracy by working to achieve full participation.
This time around we have even more to offer:
We will be holding free workshops for parents, educators and teens on Oct 2, 3 and 4 so anyone can attend and learn about the importance of welcoming our newest voters with a smooth on-ramp to democracy. They’ll each walk away with tools specific to their cohort that will help bring voter registration to their high schools on a permanent basis.
Parents (and other adult friends and family members): you will learn about the importance of high school voter registration and its role in strengthening our democracy. We’ll help you identify important resources your teens can use to organize a drive in their schools. Click the icon to register:
Educators (teachers, administrators, superintendents and more): we’re inviting all high school educators to explore ideas for incorporating voter registration and voting into their curriculum and how to support students in leading their own voter registration efforts. Click the icon to register:
Teens: you know that your vote matters, but how do you convince your friends, classmates and community? Our workshop for teens explores how voting directly impacts your life and how to help your peers feel empowered to vote as well. Whether you're passionate about social change or curious about your role in shaping the future, this event is your gateway to making a real difference. Click the icon to register:
On Thursday, October 4, we will hold a free training to help you kickstart a non-partisan voter registration drive in your school. See this simple step-by-step and click the icon to register:
On Friday, October 6, we’ll be calling on everyone to take action, to put high school voter registration on the map with other important pro-democracy efforts and to commit to bringing high school voter registration to their communities.
Mark your calendar for High School Voter Registration Week (October 2-6), and join us in welcoming the newest voters into our democracy.