Official Letter
Official Letter
May 24, 2022
Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and High School and Middle School Principals:
2022 California Student Mock Election: Register Your School Today!
The 2022 California primary and U.S. general election are quickly approaching, and it is once again time to get students involved and excited about civic engagement. The California Secretary of State and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction are partnering to host the 2022 California Student Mock Election on Tuesday, October 11, 2022.
School registration for the 2022 California Student Mock Election opened on April 25, 2022. This important program helps young people discover the importance of elections and the power of their votes in the democratic process. Through your school’s involvement, students will discover how government and politics affect their daily lives. Once all the votes are counted, students will be able to compare their votes to those of their peers at schools from across the state.
We strongly encourage you to incorporate this great program into your curriculum. Registration for the 2022 California Student Mock Election can be found on the Secretary of State California Student Mock Election web page at https://studentmockelection.sos.ca.gov/. Here, you are able to register your school and obtain resources for holding a successful mock election. Please note that only one registration is allowed per school. If you and your colleagues would like to participate, please be sure to collaborate and select a Mock Election Coordinator for your school.
Supplies for conducting a well-run student mock election, including Student Voter Information Guides, ballots, posters, “I Voted” sticker templates, and other materials will be available on the Mock Election web page. Please visit the Secretary of State Tools for Success web page at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection/tools-success to access the supply kit in electronic format. Schools that register by September 19, 2022, and would like to receive a supply kit in the mail may request one by selecting “Paper” from the drop-down menu in the Supply Kit Preference section of the registration screen.
In addition to the materials already listed, the 2022 California Student Mock Election web page contains a collection of standards-based lesson plans designed to engage students and share ideas that other schools have used as part of their California Student Mock Election activities.
Another way to get students excited about civic engagement this year is to help students host a voter registration drive for your school. In California, pre-registration is available to eligible sixteen- and seventeen-year-old students. California youth who pre-register to vote will have their registration become active once they turn eighteen. Students can pre-register at the California Secretary of State Online Voter Registration web page at https://registertovote.ca.gov/. To obtain a supply of voter registration cards, please contact our Elections Voter Engagement team at MyVote@sos.ca.gov.
For more information about pre-registration and the Secretary of State’s other youth initiatives, please visit the Secretary of State High School and Youth Initiatives web page at https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/high-school-programs.
Together, we can inspire a new generation to become more active in the political process. If you have questions about the 2022 California Student Mock Election or other civic engagement opportunities, please contact the Secretary of State’s Student Mock Election Team at 916-651-3070 or MyVote@sos.ca.gov.
Sincerely,
Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D.
California Secretary of State