Tomorrow’s Voters Already Making Their Mark

Today we welcomed four Austin, TX, ninth graders and their parent chaperones to the LWVUS offices.

The four young women are in Washington, DC to compete in the National History Day Competition. Their impressive project explores the origins and sustaining impact of the pivotal Voting Rights Act of 1965, which the League and other advocates are currently defending in anticipation of a key Supreme Court decision in the coming weeks.

We were thrilled to have them visit the LWVUS office to learn about our history and to find out more about our popular High School Voter Registration project.

The students—the next generation of voters—impressed us with their understanding of complex political issues, their clear interest in nonprofit advocacy, and most importantly, their obvious enthusiasm for helping other young people get involved in voting and participating in our democracy. They are as concerned as we are that many groups of Americans, especially young people, continue to lag behind in terms of voter participation. 

Also on the forefront of their minds was just how central their home state of Texas has been in several recent voting rights battles, from an ongoing photo voter ID fight to the still-unfolding redistricting process.  Armed with our High School Voter Registration Training Manual, the students left our offices determined to bring voter registration drives to their school.

Thank you, Westwood High School Team! You’re an inspiration and we wish you all the best in your History Day competition.