WHS 2009 VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE

Special Election to Replace the Late Senator Kennedy

 

This year the Winchester League of Women Voters partnered with Winchester High School's Connect & Commit Club to "Get the Vote Out"!  The Winchester League experimented with a new approach based on benchmarking with the Stoneham High School.  In Stoneham, peers register peers and successfully target known seniors who  turn eighteen before the next general election. 

 

Kristen Richie, Connect & Commit Director, and Caroline Libby, WHS senior and Connect & Commit Service Project Coordinator, couldn’t have been more excited about taking on this initiative.  Caroline sent Facebook invitations to the whole senior class and the Club planned on multiple rallies to help register their peers.

High School students register to vote, November 16, 2009

Marilyn Mullane (Voter Services), Caroline Libby (Connect & Commit Service Project Coordinator) and Kristen Ritchie (Staff Advisor to Connect & Commit).

Two rallies were held after school - one on November 16, 2009 to capture potential new voters for the primary on December 8, 2009 and one on December 22, 2009 for the upcoming general election.  The November rally resulted in our registering thirteen 18 year olds or 17.3% of those eligible to vote in the December 8th primary.  The follow-on rally in December with the Connect & Commit Club resulted in another eight or 22.3% total of those eligible. 

 

The good news is 90% of those registered went on to vote in the Special Election on January 19th for the next Senator from Massachusetts.  And, while partnering with Connect & Commit did engage some students, the lessons learned for the Winchester League is to continue its more direct, hands-on approach by annually hosting assemblies and inspiring young people to register to vote, and then to vote.

 

Marilyn Mullane

Voter Services

Winchester League of Women Voters