Duval County high school students were given the opportunity to let their voice be heard when they participated in a student voter registration drive, taking place April 22-24. The 2008 countywide student registration drive was offered through a partnership between Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) and the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Statistics have shown that the 18-25 age group now makes up the second largest percentage of registered voters in Duval County, in large part due to the commitment of area schools and the Supervisor of Elections Office to educate students about the electoral process.
A new law was recently passed that allows 16 year olds with a valid driver's license to pre-register in the same fashion as 17 year olds have done in the past. When these students turn 18, they receive their voter’s registration card. This year, nearly 16,000 DCPS students were eligible to register.
To prepare for the registration drive, a faculty coordinator from each participating school was selected to serve as a liaison between the Supervisor of Elections and their school community. These coordinators attended a training workshop to obtain information on the registration and voting process, and to receive supplies and giveaways for students and faculty members who registered during the event. Local volunteers from the community who typically work at the polls on Election Day were also on hand to assist the schools.
Susan Tidwell, an American Government teacher at Sandalwood High School, took the lead at her school to register students. She, along with community volunteers, visited every social studies class to distribute and explain the registration forms to eligible students. Students were then given the opportunity to participate in trivia questions about the electoral process.
Tidwell said this isn't the first opportunity Sandalwood students have had to register to vote. Earlier this year, the school held its own registration drive so that students who were old enough to vote would be able to participate in the Florida primaries.
Voter registration drives were conducted at all of Duval County's 19 public high schools.
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