On Tuesday, 61 Upper Schoolers registered to vote for the first time in their lives during our student-planned Voter Registration Drive. Students from the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021 were eligible to register if they were American citizens and Missouri residents who are at least 17.5 years old or Illinois residents who are at least 17 years old.
Organized by the Campus Democrats and Young Republicans, the drive was supported by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters and focused on helping students register and learn more about how, when and where to vote. Members from both student groups talked about the event at an Upper School assembly prior to Tuesday’s successful drive.
Campus Democrat Co-head Ceci Cohen ’20 shared, “Voting is an important part of being an American because the people’s voice is what makes up our democracy. Voting is our civic duty, which is why I think it is so important to register people to vote. As a senior, many of my classmates are eligible to register to vote. With the Missouri Primary Election coming up on March 10, it made sense to give this opportunity to my peers.”
Young Republican Co-head Matthew Matava ’20 was pleased with the grand total of 61 students who registered through the drive. “This was more than we thought we would register due to the fact that many juniors were too young to register and some seniors have already registered.” Some students are also not American citizens. “Now, for the 2020 Missouri primary and for the 2020 General Election, we will have 61 more citizens who can express their views and practice their civic duty.”
Thank you to the Campus Democrats, Young Republicans and the League of Women Voters for encouraging so many students to vote!