Wednesday I helped out at one of the high schools at in my neighborhood. “Equity Day” was a special day of workshops for the students to attend to learn more about a wide range of subjects: From immigration to gun laws, environmental equity to homelessness. Members of the community helped lead the discussion on 30 topics.
One of the teachers is a member of our District Democratic Party and asked a couple of us to come to register students to vote. (Spot me in the crowd of facilitators and get one free rec!) We got 15. I was hoping for more, and we could have padded that number, but some of the kids told us that they registered at the #marchforourlives last Saturday.
Voting has always been important to me. It was the issue for me as a 17 year old as I first became involved with a campaign. A lot of kids felt disenfranchised, having to wait until age 21 to vote, yet being asked (or required via the draft) to serve in Vietnam. Our voices were heard…and the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971, and we 18-year-olds got the vote.
Setting a habit of voting early in life is important to maintaining the practice in later years. We can register to vote in Washington State at age 17, provided that person turns 18 on or before the date of the next general election. Democrats also allow those 17-year-olds to participate in our Presidential Caucuses along with 20 plus other primary/caucus states. Some states even allow 17-year-olds to vote in Congressional Primaries.
Doing our best to see that others vote is how we win elections. So I spend a fair amount of time being in places where people gather. This is my 8th year in helping to arrange my Dems organization’s presence at street fairs and such…Step One in GOTV…make sure that our folks are registered to vote.
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Washington State just made our task a little easier.
Gov. Jay Inslee just signed into law a series of acts that streamline the registration process. Starting in July 2019 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to pre-register. Counties will then send ballots (all mail-in here) to the new voter to participate in the first election that comes up on or after their 18th birthday.
To facilitate registration, a special day in January is to be observed in every school.
Each year on "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day," social studies teachers must, as resources allow, coordinate a voter registration event in each history or social studies class attended by high school seniors. This event is part of the future voter program. Teachers must make voter sign up and registration available to all students.
So there they go...taking our job away! (That’s a good thing actually.)
A few other voting improvements also passed:
- A measure to reform minority representation by allowing potential court challenges to local government entities to push them to go to district elections rather than at-large elections. The city of Yakima had to be sued in the federal court system under the Voting Rights Act to make this change. Now that they vote by district, Latinos were finally able to be elected. Such cases can now be pursued within the state.
- A bill to automatically register folks when they apply for or renew an enhanced driver’s license. An “opt out” system. This differs from the “opt in” registration option when applying for a standard driver’s license…the fact that you need not be a citizen to have a standard driver’s license in WA is the reason for that.
It goes without saying — Elections matter. These new laws have been waiting in the wings to be brought to the floor, only to be stymied by Republicans, who controlled of the State Senate…until this year. Now that we are part of the West Coast Blue Wall, Washington can now join with 12 other states (plus Washington DC) to permit voter preregistration beginning at 16 years old.
Has your state passed any good laws recently?
RSVPS
1. Chrislove, organizer (kosmail him to connect)
2. tiredntexas
3. JJR1971
4. scott5js
5. cosette
6.
MAYBEES :
Mr. cosette
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