NC’s Pre-Registration Law · NC’s Pre-Registration Law • On August 10, 2009 a piece of...
Transcript of NC’s Pre-Registration Law · NC’s Pre-Registration Law • On August 10, 2009 a piece of...
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