Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and High School Principals:

High School Voter Education Weeks (April 18–29, 2022)

Civic engagement will always be an ongoing learning experience. As educators, it is important to ensure that students are continuously learning how to become active and engaged participants in our democracy. It is never too early to motivate our students to get involved. We encourage your school to participate in High School Voter Education Weeks on April 18–29, 2022, to aid our young and future voters onto the pathway of civic engagement, awareness, and voting.

It is easier now more than ever to get sixteen- to seventeen-year-old students civically engaged through pre-registration. Once pre-registered, these students will automatically become active voters when they turn eighteen.

Pre-registration for sixteen- to seventeen-year-old students has been a huge success in California, with over 850,000 pre-registrations since the program launched in September 2016.

The Secretary of State’s office can provide resources, and county elections officials can serve as partners to make it easy for schools to participate.

Here are some ideas and online resources to help you:

• To learn more about pre-registration in California, please visit the California Secretary of State’s High School and Youth Initiatives web page at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/high-school-programs/#prereg.
• Encourage eligible students to visit the California Secretary of State’s California Online Voter Registration website at https://registertovote.ca.gov/ to register or pre-register to vote. Include the link in communications with parents and on the school website.
• Urge administrators, students, and parents to visit the California Secretary of State’s High School and Youth Initiatives portal at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/high-school-programs/, which includes important information about voter registration and pre-registration, the Student Mock Election, the Student Poll Worker program, and High School Voter Education Weeks.
• Review the High School Voter Education Weeks section of the web portal, which provides an opportunity for high schools and students to partner with county elections officials to promote civic education and foster an environment that cultivates lifelong voters and active citizens.

By working together, we can educate and encourage our young citizens to register to vote and turn out at the polls to ensure their voices are heard in 2022 and beyond.

If you have any questions about High School Voter Education Weeks or other civic engagement opportunities, please feel free to contact Jannell Jackson, Deputy Secretary of State, Voter Education and Outreach, SosOutreach@sos.ca.gov or 916-584-3538, or Pete Callas, Director, Career and College Transition Division, California Department of Education, at 916-322-6368 or pcallas@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D.
California Secretary of State

TT/SW:df