Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) high school students have teamed up with the Alameda chapter of the League of Women Voters (LWV) to register and pre-register their peers to vote in the upcoming elections. The initiative is designed to educate students on the importance of voting and increase student involvement in the democratic process.

“Many among the youth view voting as a burden as opposed to a gift, when in

reality it is an honor that must be valued,” says Dean Alis, an 11th grader at Alameda High who has been involved with voter registration efforts since his freshman year. ”Voting is actually a powerful tool for change.”

Educating Students on the Power of Voting

In the United States, youth can register to vote when they turn 18. In California, students ages 16 and 17 have the right to pre-register to vote, which allows them to be automatically registered when they turn 18. California’s Education Code designates the last two full weeks in April and September as “High School Voter Education Weeks,” a time when schools are encouraged to provide education on the importance of voting and opportunities to register.

Research shows that voter turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds has consistently been the lowest of all age groups, and the disparities grow even wider when looking at African-Americans, Latinos, and those with no college experience. In response to that, the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization that works to protect and expand voting rights, has launched a national “High School Registration Project” aimed at getting more young people to vote.

“For over 100 years the League has been empowering voters to fully participate in our democracy,” says Linday Bytof, a retired judge, political scientist, and chair of the Youth Outreach Committee of LWV of Alameda. “Voting is in our DNA and we have a responsibility to share our mission with the next generation. We do this by encouraging young voters to get involved, teach them how to get involved, then stand back and watch them put their passion into action."

Ms. Bytof's efforts to register Alameda students will be featured on NPR's "Here and Now" program this coming Tuesday, September 17, which is National Voter Registration Day. The segment is expected to air around 12:40 pm, PST.

Making Student Voices Heard

LWV trains students to lead conversations with their peers about the importance of voting and other issues, as well as how to get them registered. This year, voter registration events will take place at all four of Alameda Unified’s high schools. Depending on the school, these opportunities will take place during drop off, advisory periods, lunch, and leadership classes.

“I was immediately interested and excited and was happy to become one of the students helping organize this important event at our school,” says Ava Beall, a senior at Alameda High School who organized a voter registration drive last year and has since become deeply involved with the LWV’s efforts. Ava also serves as Commissioner for the Diversity and Social Justice Committee at Alameda High and encourages her peers to vote as a way to amplify their voices. “I want to make an impact and help make the voices of others, and my own voice, heard.”

Adds Iris Ko, an 11th grader at Encinal High School who became involved with the LWV after attending her school’s career fair, “It's important for students to preregister and register to vote because voting is a huge part of our government. We get to choose what we want. I think my peers agree that voting is an important part of our government.”

Students interested in pre-registering or registering to vote who can't make the

sessions can sign up on the California Secretary of State's website. The materials are available in multiple languages.

Empowering Students through the Student Advisory Committee

The LWV of Alameda’s Student Advisory Committee (SAC) provides students from all Alameda high schools the opportunity to identify issues they care about and develop projects to address them. Under the guidance of LWV mentors, these students take active roles in shaping their communities. Recent projects have included hosting a panel on affordable housing organized last June.

“Youth are historically ignored by politicians because they don’t vote,” says Bytof, “Political science researchers call young people and other underrepresented groups ‘politically invisible’ because “politicians and politically engaged volunteers rarely come into contact with this group, potentially leading to policy issues of particular importance to them receiving less attention.”

Students (and adults!) can learn more about joining the LWV of Alameda on their website.