At Meteor Blades’ suggestion, I’m posting this comment as a diary.
There is tremendous energy for increased voter registration right now, fueled by 18 months of the Resistance, Daily Outrages, Special Election Wins and the MSD Parkland kids’ activism.
It is happening already in CA where 100,000 teenagers have preregistered to vote.
Now it must be harnessed in a systematic way nationally. And time is of the essence because there are less than two months left of school in most districts and we don’t want to wait until August-September.
Below is a draft proposal with the goal of creating a voter registration team in every high school and college in the county. I am extremely interested in your comments and suggestions. Maybe it can lead to an “official” Daily Kos Voter Registration Blueprint.
All it takes to start this process is one or more activists in each of 435 CDs, who can lead an effort to have voter registration teams in every high school and college in the country.
I know a lot of voter registration activism is already occurring through local and national groups, and groups like the League of Women Voters and Rock the Vote. The point is not to supplant or step on the toes of any of these efforts, but just to make sure a comprehensive voter registration effort is happening in every college and high school. So if there already is such an effort, or another effort overlapping it, great!
I don’t know if the MSD/Parkland group has a plan such as this or whether they might be interested in a version of this one. If you are in touch with them, consider passing this along.
Here’s Bethesda 1971’s HS/College Voter Registration Plan:
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.