The upcoming election is just under two months away. Illinois PTA has shared what PTAs can and can’t do regarding elections, as has National PTA in partnership with Nonprofit VOTE. One thing that PTAs can do is host a voter registration drive, and if you are a middle or high school PTA or PTSA, this activity may really engage students with your PTA. National PTA now has a collection of resources to help you run a voter registration drive.
Included in the resources are:
- Social media graphics with the #PTAVotes hashtag
- State election deadlines
- A PowerPoint you can use to train your participants or PTA members on appropriate election activities
- A checklist of non-profit election activities
- A non-profit voting and elections guide
National PTA has also set up a portal to allow you to register to vote online.
In addition, Vote.org has a collection of state-specific links regarding:
- COVID-19 election information
- Illinois election tools that let you check your registration, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, get election reminders, locate your polling place, and volunteer to become a poll worker
- The Illinois State Board of Elections
You can also encourage those students 17 and older to consider serving as an election judge, a critical need as many older experienced election judges are opting out of working this election due to higher COVID-19 risks for their age group. In Illinois, to serve as a student election assistant, you must be:
- 17 or older and a student in good standing enrolled in a public or private secondary school
- Be a US citizen at the time of the election
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Have written approval from a parent or guardian and school principal
- Satisfactorily complete the election judge training course
Contact your county board of elections for additional details on how students may serve.
Take advantage of the growing civic engagement of our youth by hosting a voter registration drive.
One Voice Illinois 