Photo Courtesy of Letina Brady Pettis
Get Out The Vote 4 TEENS recently held its first voter registration kickoff drive at Simeon Career Academy.
GOTV 4 Teens held the event to pre-register new young voters under a state law that went into effect at the beginning of the year.
“This is the first of many high school voter registration drives, and Simeon High School is our inaugural event. Our mission is to get every high school student who meets the qualifications to learn about elections, become a lifelong voter, and become part of the process,” said GOTV 4 Teens’ Founder Letina Brady Pettis.
In August, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote. All that is required is a valid Illinois driver’s license or state ID and the last four digits of their social security number.
The League of Women Voters of Chicago, a coalition member, celebrated the passage of the state law.
“For years, the League has been registering and educating voters. This is a natural extension of our serious work — to engage and increase younger voter turnout in every election. With the passage of this bill, we are thrilled to support GOTV 4 Teens,” said League of Women Voters Chicago President Jane Ruby.
In Illinois, 17-year-olds can already register and vote in a primary election if they turn 18 on the day of the general election, which is Nov. 5 of this year.
Under the new law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 16- and 17-year-olds who pre-register will have their applications held by the Illinois State Board of Elections. When they become eligible to vote, their registration details are forwarded to their election authority. This process helps to streamline the process for them to participate in elections once they turn 18.
Pettis added that the GOTV 4 TEENS coalition recognizes the importance of teenagers’ voices and aims to enhance their civic education and facilitate voter registration.
Here are some photos from the GOTV 4 Teens event at Simeon:
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