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The #FutureVoters program allows 16 and 17-year-olds to sign up and automatically register to vote when they turn 18. Social studies teachers coordinate voter registration events with support from County Auditors. Multi-media outreach materials and student-led initiatives are used to engage young voters. Registering students and young adults is a cornerstone of the Washington Bus' work, with over 70,000 young voters registered since 2007.
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Get ready to engage #FutureVoters beginning July 2019 • 16- and 17-year-olds may sign up as #FutureVoters and be automatically registered to vote when they turn 18 • January 16. Temperance and Good Citizenship day • Social studies teachers must coordinate a voter registration event • OSPI distributes program and voter registration materials for teachers by Dec 1 of each year. • County Auditors “may as resources allow” help with the VR event.
Rosa Fernández, Bilingual Program Coordinator, Franklin County Elections • Callie Meleedy, Outreach Coordinator, Thurston County Elections • Yolanda Arellano, Bilingual Program Analyst, Yakima County Elections • Josh Parker, Instructional Specialist- Secondary Literacy, North Thurston Public Schools • Taemin Um, Program Director, The Washington Bus
Rosa M. Fernández Bilingual Elections Program Coordinator, Franklin County
Multi-media and multi-language voter outreach • Cards • Simple and easy to read • QR redirects voter to OSOS voter registration page • Distribute to schools and outreach events • Posters • Contact social studies teachers • Leave a poster in the classroom
Multi-media and multi-language voter outreach • PSA’s • At no charge to the county • PSA’s reach our largest audience, young and not too young • Elections segment airs during the 6:30pm news
Callie Meleedy Outreach Coordinator, Thurston County Elections
Future Voter Program A student-led approach
Goals? • Engagement • Preregistration/Registration • Action on Election Day
Outreach • School district, teachers, and students • Extra help staffing • Social Media
What works? • Reaching out to students directly has yielded the most interest • We’ve reached out to other community youth centered groups to get their feedback and will be implementing some of their ideas once the group gets off the ground • Reaching out to teachers directly has proven challenging
Yolanda Arellano Bilingual Program Analyst, Yakima County Elections
Yakima County = 117,000 registered voters
Past efforts • 10+ years provided voter registration forms to high school seniors via their “senior packets” • 3,590 forms + cards dropped off • Last year, only 74 students registered
Contact high school teachers • 90 social studies teachers in Yakima County • Work with your educational service district • Don’t forget about private and tribal schools • Majority of information is on district’s website • Send materials • Encourage teachers to engage student leaders in organizing a voter registration table on Good Citizenship Day
Josh Parker Instructional Specialist- Secondary Literacy, North Thurston Public Schools
Partnering with teachers and principals Turn and talk: • What do you remember about the first time that you registered to vote or the first time you voted? • Share a few – underlying values/beliefs?
Could our approach increase registration but decrease voter participation? • Find the balance: values, opportunity, duty, belief, pride • Experience with LWV • What principals appreciate: being in the loop • What teachers need: no extra work – communication plan, lesson plan, dates… bring to them with time! • How students engage: address the why, doable and safe • Challenges: Scheduling to get to all seniors, outing students’ citizenship and housing status…
Partnering with teachers - Takeaways • Communicate with principals and teachers early and provide a clear lesson with resources necessary • Include ways all students can participate without feeling unsafe • Engage students in the ‘why’… so that a registered voter later becomes a voter
Taemin Um Program Director, The Washington Bus
Registering students and young adults is the cornerstone of the Washington Bus' work – we’ve registered over 70,000 young voters since 2007We meet and engage young voters where they are at! In the classrooms, community events, festivals, and concerts!We partner with High Schools, 2 and 4 year universities all throughout Washington State where we give presentations on the importance of civic engagement with young votersWe always end the presentation with students fill out a Voter Registration and Pledge to Vote card.
Pledge to Vote Cards! • The Washington Bus has collected 991 Pledge to Vote cards from HS and College students since the start of February 2019. • A HS or College student fills the PTV, we will mail theirs back during election time! • We will also call, text, and/or email folks reminding them to vote for both the Primary and General elections!
Using an issue that is important for young people to get themengaged and ready to vote! We will also remind students that their ballots are in the mailbox viatext, email, and phone calls.
Want us to do a presentation at your local high school, college, or community group on youth civic engagement or want us to help run a voter registration drive? We would love to! Taemin@washingtonbus.org
