Students who will be eligible to vote in November’s general election will have the opportunity to register to vote on Tuesday, Sept. 24 — National Voter Registration Day — at Mount Vernon High School. Members of the League of Women Voters-Fairfax Chapter will facilitate the voter registration drive during government classes.
In class, students have been discussing the responsibilities of citizens to engage in the voting process. Through the school’s Students Involved in Volunteering program, students are encouraged to help at polling locations, register others to vote, and to reach out to the larger community. The goal is to help them make more informed choices at the polls to benefit their communities, state, and country.
“This visit by the League of Women Voters will officially kick off our unit on elections and political parties,” says Mount Vernon social studies teacher Robin Stewart. “It is our hope that by partnering with this organization and teaching this unit before the election, we will encourage our young voters to engage in our upcoming state elections and primaries in March 2020.”
Members of the League of Women Voters will share information about the importance of voting during a classroom presentation. In addition to registering in class, students can register during their lunch periods. The school is also planning a spring drive to encourage Mount Vernon students to register to vote.
September is recognized as National Voter Registration Month.
The Fairfax County School Board approved a resolution in support of voter registration and the FCPS High School Voter Registration Challenge at its Sept. 12 business meeting. During the previous 2018-19 school year, 10 schools met the challenge of registering at least 50 percent of the eligible members of their senior class as part of the challenge.