Park Ridge League of Women Voters get Maine East students registered to vote
Despite being able to register to vote online, students still seem eager to register in person, with 92 students registering to vote at a League of Women Voters of Park Ridge event at Maine East High School in Park Ridge. The event took place over the mornings of Oct. 7 and 8.
Carl Brownell, the school's Social Science department chair, noted that students appreciated the convenience of registering to vote at their school.
Civics and government teachers at Maine East try to keep students engaged after they register to vote by making sure they have resources and links to candidates' websites so they can make informed choices in elections.
While Brownell estimated that between 20 to 40 Maine East students serve as election judges during each election cycle, he noted that for many students, going from registering to vote to actualy getting out and voting can feel like a huge step.
"The biggest thing for a lof of them is getting over the anxiety or fear of the process and seeing, how does this work?" he said.
Other than getting a driver's license, this is students' first introduction into becoming an adult and making decisions for themselves, he noted.
"I think for a lot of them, that excites them. For others, it intimdates them. For others, they have perhaps too many other things in their lives that are competing for their attention and that maybe impedes them from following through and doing some of the work you need to do to vote."
To help students along, the LWV of Park Ridge invited students to sign up to have League members contact them to remind them to vote around election time and answer any questions they may have about the process.
"Our aim is not just to register new voters, but to give them the tools they need to cast their votes," said Karen Reid, LWV of Park Ridge director of voter services.
By hosting registration events, the LWV of Park Ridge hopes to make the voting process a little less intimidating. From what Brownell said, the group may be succeeding.
"One teacher told me (her students) came back to her classroom and they said, 'we used to think you were the nicest older woman in our lives. And now we met the League of Women Voters, and they outdid you. They were so nice. They gave us stickers, they gave us chocolate, they got us registered to vote.'"
To request information about the League of Women Voters of Park Ridge or to host a voter registration drive for your organization or event, email lwvparkridge@gmail.com.
The League of Women Voters of Park Ridge is a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to making democracy work through voter education, issue advocacy and citizen participation. For more information, visit www.lwvpr.org or follow the League on Facebook or Instagram.