NC’sPre-RegistrationLaw

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AGREEDISAGREE

• Adults,suchasparentsandteachers,oftendon’tlistentoteenagers.• Mostteenagersdon’tcareaboutpoliticalandsocialissues.• TherearemanywaysIcanparticipateinthepoliticalprocess,eventhoughI’mnotoldenoughtovote.

AGREEDISAGREE

• Federal,state,andlocalgovernmentofficialsshouldconsultpeopleourageonthedecisionstheymake.

• Thevotingageshouldberaised– mosteighteenyearoldsdon’tknowenoughtobeabletovote.

• Mostpoliticianscareverymuchwhetheryoungpeople(18-22yearolds)vote.

• Whatisthisquestionasking?• Ifyouanswer“yes”tothisquestion,can

youstillsubmitthisform?• Whatdoesthatmean?Howdoesthis

formnowaffecteachofyouwhoare16years-oldorsoontobe16?

NC’sPre-RegistrationLaw• OnAugust10,2009apieceoflandmarklegislationwaspassed

bytheNCGeneralAssembly.• Abipartisanbillwasadoptedthatallows16and17yearoldsto

pre-registertovote.• Thismeansthatwhenyouapplyforadriver’slicense,youcan

pre-registertovote!• Ifyoupre-register,youwillbeautomaticallyregisteredtovote

shortlybeforeyouturn18andwillthenbeabletovote.• Thehopeisthatthislawwilladdthousandsofyoungpeopleto

thevoterrollsandboostvotereducationandvoterturnoutinNC.

• ThelawiseffectiveJanuary1,2010.

NC’sPre-RegistrationLaw• Thelawalsorequirescountyboardsofelectionstoconduct

registrationdrivesathighschoolseachyear,anditbroadensexistingrequirementsforcivicsteacherstoteachstudentsaboutvotingandtheregistrationprocess.

• NorthCarolinaisonlyoneofthreestateswithalawlikethis.Onlytwootherstates– FLandHI– allow16and17year-oldstopre-register!

Whatdoesthissayaboutourstate’sconcernforyouthvoice?

NC’sPre-RegistrationLaw• “Thepreregistrationprogram,adoptedin2009withbipartisan

support,wasineffectfrom2010tothefallofSeptember2013.• Morethan150,000teensparticipatedintheprogram,

accordingtostateboardofelectionsdata.Ofthe55,291teenswhopreregisteredin2012,41percentchosetodosoasunaffiliated.Thirty-threepercentpreregisteredasDemocratsand25percentasRepublicans,markingthefirstyearthatDemocraticpreregistrationsoutnumberedRepublican.

• Mecklenburg,Wake,Union,GuilfordandCumberlandcountieswerethetopfiveforpreregistrationin2012.”– TheCharlotteObserver

NC’sPre-RegistrationLaw• In2013,theNCLegislaturepassedtheVoterIdentification

VerificationAct(VIVA),whichwassignedintolawbyGovernorPatMcCrory.Amongotherprovisions,suchasvoterID,thislaweliminatedpre-registration.

• Afteralengthycourtbattle,the4th CircuitCourtofAppealsstruckdownpartsofVIVAandreinstatedpre-registrationinJuly2016.

Whydoyouthinkthatthelegislatureeliminatedpre-registration?

VoterRegistrationinNC

• Registrationamongyouthissignificantlylowerthanitisforotheragegroups.– Morethan80%ofadultcitizensover40areregisteredtovoteinNorthCarolina.

– Less than60%ofeligiblevotersages18-24areregisteredtovoteinNorthCarolina.

Whydoyouthinksofewyoungpeopleregistertovote?Inadditiontothepre-registrationlaw,whatcouldbedonetoencourageyouthtoregister?

WhyShouldYOUth

Pre-Register&Vote?

Theyouthvoteissadlyunderestimatedbypartyanalysts.

• Yes,itistrue,thetrendanalystswhotellpartyspin-doctorswheretotargettheiradvertisingdollarsandpublicrelationseffortstraditionallyoverlooktheyouthmarket.Why?

• Becausethesadrealityisthatelectionyearafterelectionyearthepercentageofeligibleyouthwhoactuallyregisterandvoteissmallwhencomparedwithotherdemographics(thoughthisdidchangeabitin2008!).

• Thisdoesn'tmeantheyouthmarketisn'taforce,justthatitisn'tamainmotivatorinthedraftingofcampaignplatformsandpre-electionadvertising.

• So,likeanyself-respectingrebelliousyoungpersonthenaturalthingtodoisgoagainstthegrainanddotheunexpected.Keepthemontheirtoes,shockthemintothe21stcenturyandgetout,register,andvote!

Thebiggestelectionissuesoftendirectlyeffecttheyouthofthenation

• Whataresomeissuesthatyoucareabout?– Yourschool?Educationfunding?– Whetheryouwillhaveajobwithyougraduate?– WhetherandwheretheUSengagesinwar?– Homelessness?– Gangviolence?– Fundingforrecreationcentersandparks?– Theenvironment?

• ThesearejustafewofthecurrenttopicsthatdirectlyeffectthequalityofyourlifeRIGHTNOW.Andthesearealltopicsourgovernmentofficials(thatyouELECT)makedecisionsregarding.

• Ifyoudon’tregisterandvote,youeffectivelykissawayyourabilitytohaveanyinfluenceastohowtheseissuesplayoutinyourworld!(TheworldYOUwillbeinchargeofsoonerthanlater.)

Theonlywaydemocracyworksisifcitizens,youngandold,areactive participants.

• You’vehearditbefore…youmaythinkit’s“hokie”…butit’sTRUE.• Agovernmentbythepeople,forthepeoplejustcan'tworkwithout

thepeople.Thisisasimplefact.Likeacarwithoutanengine,oracomputerwithoutaharddrive,ademocracywithoutvotersisjustashellwithnopower.

• Whileitiseasytosay"onevotedoesn'tmakeadifference"therealityisthateveryvotecounts...haveyouheardofFlorida?

• Alsoyouhavetorememberthatasanindividualyourvotemayseemtobelittlemorethanawhisper- butwhenyourvoteiscombinedwiththevotesofotherswhoshareyourviews,itbecomesaloudvoice.Themorelike-voterstherearethelouderthatvoiceyells.

• Sogetoutthereandmaketheyouthvotebeheard!

Ifyoudon'tvoteyoucan’tcomplainaboutgovernmentdecisionsyoudon'tlike.

• You’reateenager– admitit,youliketocomplain,right?• Ifyoudon'tregisterandvote,youreallyhavenorightcomplaining

aboutanythingthegovernmentdoes.• Notvotingislikesayingyoudon'tcarehowyourcountryisrun.Ifyou

don'tcare,wheredoyougettheideathatyoucanwhinewhensomethinghappensthatyoudon'tlike?

• WanttherighttocomplainwhenTPTB(thepowersthatbe)makeatrulyterribledecision?Thenyoumustexerciseyourrighttoregisterandvote.

• Maybeyourvotecouldkeepsomeonewhowouldmaketerribledecisionsfrombeingelectedtobeingwith!

Bottomline:youshouldvotebecauseyoucan.

• It’snearlyimpossibleforustoimagineatimewhenpeople,basedontheirgenderorrace,werenotallowedtovote.Weareluckythatpeoplewholivedbeforeusinthecountryfought(andmanydied)sothatweallhavetherighttoregisterandvote.

• Whydidtheyfightforthisright?Becausepeoplewanttoshapetheirfutureandnotbepowerless.

• Believeitornot,youngpeoplejustlikeyouinothercountriesactuallyfightandevendieforthisright;arightthatsomanyyouthindemocraticnationstakeforgranted.

• Youshouldvotebecauseyoucan,ifyoudon'tyoumayonedaywakeupinacountrywhereyoucan't.Itcan(andhas)happened.Enoughsaid.

"Tiredofyourviewsbeingignored?Votingisyourchancetobeheardandtomakeadifference.IfeveryonecameouttovoteonElectionDay,itwouldmeanthateachpersoninthiscountryisbeingheard,thateveryone'sopinioncounts,regardlessofage,whetherheis18or89.That'showchangehappens- expressyourviewsattheballotbox."

CongressmanGeorgeMiller,CommitteeChairmanonEducationandLabor