Team —
Spread the word. Today is National Voter Registration Day!
As part of our celebration, I’d like to share with you a special moment from last week as well as the incredible success of California’s voter pre-registration program for eligible 16- and 17-year olds.
Last week, I joined civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis in a visit to Morse High School in San Diego as we brought our message of civic engagement and civic responsibility to hundreds of students. It was an inspiring experience to hear this empowering message from a true American hero.
As Secretary of State, I’ve visited nearly 60 high schools throughout the state. At each visit, I encourage eligible students to register to vote, but not all high school students are old enough, so we allow eligible 16- and 17-year olds to pre-register to vote. And I share other opportunities for young people to get involved and make change in their community.
I’m thrilled to announce that since the launch of the program, more than 200,000 young adults have pre-registered to vote. That’s a huge milestone!
Equally powerful, more than 100,000 of them have turned 18 since they pre-registered. That’s 100,000 new voters now on the rolls and ready to cast a ballot this November!
Research shows that engaging young voters early means they are more likely to be consistent voters in the years ahead. Given these numbers, I’m optimistic about our future.
And for young people who want to know what more they can do to get involved, I point them to highschool.sos.ca.gov, our portal for students to access voter registration information, resources for organizing a voter registration drive in their community, student poll worker opportunities, and instructions to sign up for our upcoming student mock election.
With so much at stake in this November’s election, an inspiring call to action from Congressman Lewis couldn’t have come at a better time.
Today is National Voter Registration Day. Join in on our celebration.
Click here to register to vote or to update your registration.
OR
Not sure of your registration status? Click here to verify your voter registration status.
Together, let’s fight for our values by helping register more voters and vote in record numbers this November.
Thank you for your continued support,
Alex Padilla
California Secretary of State