I will be retweeting this everyday until May 29. We have over 100 schools sign up just on the first day this was posted. There’s about 26,000 high schools across America. Is yours signed up?
HeadCount.org provides a guide to registering voters at high schools. Just fill in the form and they will send the information.
1. District Teams: Designate a person or small group responsible for voter registration in every CD.
2. School Identification: The District Teams identify all high schools and colleges in that district.
3. School Teams: For each school or college, identify individuals and groups who could lead and participate in registration efforts:
e.g., Young Democrats, 90 for 90.org, Model UN, Social Justice clubs, affinity groups, AA, Latinx , black, and/or Asian Student Unions, March for Life (#Neveragain), unions, local indivisible groups, Democratic District and County committees, parents’ groups.
Confirm each school has a core group to carry out the registration program.
Use posters and social media to publicize the beginning of the drive.
Recruit teams in small subdivisions (state legislative districts) to assist with this.
Be sure all teams are familiar with local, state and school laws and regulations re voter registration.
4. Launch Day:
Obtain necessary permissions from the school administration and designate a day to begin the drive (“Launch Day”). If permission is difficult or impossible to obtain, select nearby off-school site frequented by students. Prior to Launch Day — publicize through social media, posters, flyers, etc.
On Launch Day
a. In person:
1. Staff centrally located tables in cafeteria and/or other heavily trafficked areas for students to fill out and return forms.
2. Distribute (and if possible, collect) registration forms in each 11th and 12th grade homeroom and/or social studies classes.
b. Online: Spread links to voter registration sites through texts, emails and any other appropriate social media. Include directions depending on state. For example, many states permit direct registration online. For others, e.g., New York, instructions should include how to print and either mail in or bring to one of the school leaders on or before the Collection Day (see below).
c. Continue to distribute forms and promote registration online in the two weeks prior to Collection Day.
5. Collection Day
Two weeks after Launch Day, staff same tables to collect paper registrations printed from online; distribute and collect new registrations.
Continue to spread links for registration online.
Continue to have forms available at school.
6. Assessment:
Consider methods to gauge success throughout the process, e.g., list names of turned in forms; ask students to confirm by text, email etc. that they have registered online; check registration in online registration records.