Press Release January 24, 2008
TUSD High School Students Weigh In On Who They Think Should Be The Next President of the United States of America
Shery and West High Schools in Torrance will be participating in statewide mock elections on January 28th and 29th. As part of the MyVote High School Mock Election campaign, the office of the Secretary of State and the California Department of Education have teamed up to give the youth in of California a voice about the upcoming presidential elections.
The MyVote campaign provides schools with primary election ballots, which give students the option to vote for one presidential candidate and 3 ballot measures along with “I Voted” stickers to show participation. Results will be tallied and reported on the Secretary of State’s website so that students can see their election results and compare them to high schools around the state. The goal of the MyVote campaign is to create dialogue among high school students about elections and the election process as well as provide a platform for them to voice their opinions so that they can take the first steps to becoming lifelong voters.
Voter participation has been rapidly declining in the United States over the last 30 years. Of the 50 states, California has one of the lowest voter turnout percentages. Because of these statistics, it becomes increasingly important to engage our youth in the electoral process. “Bringing the voting process to high school students before they turn 18 is important because it creates understanding of how elections work and promotes the idea of civic responsibility”, comments Kathy Patterson, Shery High Social Studies Teacher and school site coordinator for MyVote.
For more information on MyVote or mock election activities, please contact Tammy Khan at (310) 972-6152.
