by Vivian Yenson, Staff Writer
From Monday through Friday, the Political Awareness Club (PAC) will be holding voter registration booths during lunchtime around the bowl and in front of the main gates after school.
Students that are at least sixteen years old can come pre-register to vote, and it is recommended to have the last four digits of your social security number and driver’s license at hand. If students pre-register right now, they won’t have to worry about filling out any paperwork prior to the next election and will automatically be eligible to vote.
“About half of all eligible voters don’t vote. This presents a problem in a government that relies on voters to pick their elected officials. To maybe encourage people to more actively participate in our government, the Political Awareness Club decided to start a voting drive to make it much easier for people to get involved,” said senior Brian Dinh, club president of PAC.
At their registration booths, the PAC will be providing students with the “California Voter Registration/Application” and pens to fill out the forms on the go. After the forms are filled out, the club will take them to the registrar, the person who manages the voter information, where they are processed. People who filled out a form then become a registered voter.
Board members of PAC will also be at the booth, ready to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. If needed, students can also take the forms home to fill out in their own time and return it the next day.
“We’re basically letting you guys skip the lines at the DMV or voting booth and getting all the paperwork done ahead of time. To officially vote in any election, you have to be 18; however, you can pre-register, or basically get the paperwork done ahead of time, at the age of 16,” said Dinh.
Make sure to come out and register to become an official voter! If you are interested in joining the Political Awareness Club, their meetings are on Thursdays during lunch in room 124.
Seems neat, I think EVERYONE (who is 16+) should participate. Also PAC meets in room 124 on Thursdays, you should drop by.