Too young to vote, but not too young to care.
Some high school seniors are already 18 or will turn 18 by November 6. The midterm elections will be their first opportunity to vote. Most high school students, however, won’t yet be 18 by November. That doesn’t mean they don’t care, and that doesn’t mean they can’t have a real impact.
The Civics Center on KCAL9.
Check out The Civics Center’s recent feature on local Los Angeles CBS news station, KCAL 9.
Get active.
In California, if you have not voted in four years, you can be designated as “inactive.”
Part Five: 5-5=Vote!
Reason #5: It’s not effective. Some young people think voting doesn’t matter because voting is not an effective way of creating change.
Part Four: 5-5=Vote!
Reason #4: I move all the time. Studies show young adults move a lot, an average of 6 times by the time they’re 30 years old.
Part Three: 5-5=Vote!
Reason #3: I don’t know how. Students hear lots of voices telling them to register to vote and vote.
Part Two: 5-5=Vote!
Reason #2: I Don’t Know Enough to Vote. First-time voters might think they don’t know enough about the issues to cast a ballot for a particular candidate or party.
Costa Mesa, There’s Still Time!
If we want more people to vote, we have to get them registered. In order to do that, we need to know more about who is registered and who is not.
Every Graduate a Voter
Before high school graduation, every student should understand the basic principles of how government works and how to participate fully in our democracy.
Under 18 in Arizona?
Some states don’t have a formal system of pre-registration, but young people can register to vote if they will be 18 by the next general election.
We Need Your Help to Bring the Voting Rights Act Fully Back to Life
Are you aware that one of the most effective tools for protecting voters has been missing for the last five years?
Nevada: on the way
Nevada is a bit behind California when it comes to encouraging high school students to register or pre-register to vote, but it’s still better than a lot of states.
Hello, Texas
Texas has a history of voter suppression.
That seems to be extending to high schools.
California - good laws; now we need results
California law tries to encourage high school students to register or pre-register to vote. The State allows pre-registration at 16 and has online voter registration and automatic registration at the DMV.
Why clubs?
I am a lawyer, and one of my favorite cases involved a high school club. Anthony Colin was a 10th grader at El Modena High School in Orange County, California.
September: a beautiful month for a drive
Some states have recognized the importance of high school voter registration by creating special high school voter registration weeks.
Our Twitter is live
We want to connect with you! Our Twitter, @TheCivicsCenter, is a great place to go for daily updates and information about youth civics.
Colorado: the good news and the bad news
Colorado has some very good laws about voter registration. You can pre-register at 16. You can also register to vote online.