RICHMOND, Va. — Governor Ralph Northam on Thursday announced the 2019–2020 Governor’s High School Voter Registration Challenge.
High Schools across the Commonwealth will have the opportunity to compete to register the highest percentage of their voting-age peers.
Northam said any schools that reach or exceed 65 percent registration of their eligible senior class will receive a congratulatory certificate from the Governor.
This challenge was created in 2016 and is a partnership of the Office of the Governor and the Virginia Secretaries of Administration and Education, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Elections, and the League of Women Voters of Virginia.
The challenge officially kicked off the National Voter Registration Day on September 24. The challenge will end during the last week of April 2020.
“Making voter registration easy and accessible and engaging young Virginians in the voting process will help ensure they are active and informed citizens,” said Governor Northam. “The strength of our democracy depends upon the participation of our diverse population, and encouraging young people to register and vote is a necessary part of ensuring that all voices are heard at the ballot box.”
Virginia law allows 17-year-olds to register to vote, as long as they will be 18 on or before the next general election.
Schools will get credit for each student who registers to vote using their school’s unique URL via the Department of Elections’ Citizen Portal. For more information, contact Betty Cabrera at HSVRChallenge@lwv-va.org.