Two ways for you to take action with Third Act's intergenerational voter registration initiative!

Every year, 4 million Americans turn 18 and become eligible to vote, but fewer than half of them vote. However– once registered, youth do vote in large numbers! In every presidential election 2004-2020, more than 75% of registered 18- to 24-year-olds voted– 86% in 2020! The solution is to register newly-eligible youth voters while they are still in high school. 

Here are two actions you can take in Fall 2023 to recruit high schools, students, and educators to host nonpartisan voter registration drives.

Action 1: Activate Students & Educators You Know

Participate in TCC’s High School Voter Registration Week Oct 2 – 6, 2023

Third Actors: Do you have a high-school-age grandchild or youth in your life? Know teachers, principals, or administrators? You can recruit them to participate in The Civics Center’s High School Voter Registration Week, October 2 – 6, 2023. 

Third Act partners with The Civics Center (TCC), and is an active member of the Ready to Vote Coalition. TCC will hold workshops to train students, parents, grandparents, guardians, and educators nationwide in why and how to hold nonpartisan voter registration drives at their high schools.

Each day of the week is a workshop designed for each different audience:

• Oct 2: RSVP to Join a workshop for parents, grandparents, and guardians – Adults with a high-schooler in their life (sophomores and up) learn how they can assist the student in organizing a voter registration drive at their school
• Oct 3: Recruit educators in your life to attend an October 3 workshop – Teachers and school admins explore how to incorporate the importance of voting into curriculum and support students to lead voter registration efforts.
  • Share this link with educators in your network:
    RSVP Link for Educators Workshop on October 3

• Oct 4-5: Recruit students in your life to attend an October 4 teen workshop and/or an October 5 “nuts and bolts” training on how to run a successful drive – As an adult collaborator with the student, you can together attend the October 5 “run a drive” workshop.
  • Share this link with students in your network:
    RSVP Link for Students Workshop on October 4
  • Share this link with all who want to lead high school voter reg drives:
    RSVP Link for “nuts and bolts” training on October 5

 

Action 2: Activate Schools Beyond Your Personal Network

Sign up with Third Act for support to host voter registration drives with local high schools, directing school contacts to the Civics Center’s trainings and free “Democracy in a Box” kits.

You may recruit high schools in nearby communities or strategic Congressional Districts, while still focusing on non-partisan student voter registration. For example, some Third Actors in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Sacramento have registered students to vote in nearby Modesto.

Here is a step-by-step summary:

1. Register with Third Act: Sign up on this short form so Third Act can follow up with more details, a sample script, links and resources to support you in developing a DIY Voter Registration Event. You’ll be part of a cohort of Third Actors working to take action all over the country.
2. Identify High Schools: Search online to identify the names and contact info for high school administrators or civics teachers in school districts in your local community or in nearby communities.
   
3. Reach Out to High Schools: Use The Civics Center’s Volunteer Toolkit with outreach resources like sample template email or phone scripts for outreach to high school administrators or educators.
4. Give Confirmed Schools the Details for Voter Reg Drives: Once you have recruited the right high school contact and confirmed their desire to host a school voter registration drive, together use the Civics Center’s instructions for how to get started. This includes joining a “how to” training and registering the drive to get TCC’s free “Democracy in a Box” volunteer kit!
5. Report Back: Complete this survey to share impact about high schools recruited and the results of voter registration events.

Please visit our Resource Guide for a more detailed set of instructions, resources, and tools for how to recruit high schools beyond your personal relationships and networks, a list of additional potential local partners, and background reading about the importance of high school voter registration.