LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- United Way of Greater Los Angeles, along with various local and state representatives, today hosted the kickoff event for the LA Youth Vote Campaign, an initiative that aims to increase voter awareness amongst Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students. The campaign educates local students about the electoral process, and encourages them to participate in civic life by helping their eligible high school peers to register and those under 18 to pre-register to vote in upcoming elections. The campaign's goal is to have 2,000 LAUSD students registered to vote in California's June Presidential primary election.
"The LA Youth Vote Campaign is designed not only to get more young people to the polls, but also help them understand the entire democratic process to ensure their voices are heard," said Elise Buik, President and CEO, United Way of Greater Los Angeles. "Voting is a driving factor towards positive change and we want to work with key stakeholders, community partners, civic leaders and our schools to make it possible for all students to register and vote in matters when it comes to the quality of their education."
Led by student leaders from LAUSD schools, the campaign's kick-off event took place today at Dr. Maya Angelou High School in Los Angeles, with over 150 local students in attendance. Speakers included California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Assembly Member Jimmy Gomez, LA County Registrar, Dean C. Logan and a student advocate. The Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorder deputized the students as Voter Outreach Coordinators and trained them how to register their peers. Other event partners included the Los Angeles Unified School District; Service Employees International Union Local 99; League of Women Voters; Arts for Los Angeles; Youth Policy Institute; Mi Familia Vota; and the Movement Strategy Center.
"Young voters have historically had the lowest voter turnout rates among all age groups," said California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. "We're aiming to educate students around how their vote can make a difference and ensure that elected officials focus on issues that matter to our youth. It's been inspiring to see how passionate our LA Youth Vote student leaders are about encouraging their peers and we hope this passion extends to all of our Angeleno youth voters."
For more information on the campaign and event, visit us at http://www.unitedwayla.org/la_youth_vote.
About United Way of Greater Los Angeles:
United Way of Greater Los Angeles is a nonprofit organization that creates pathways out of poverty by helping homeless people move into housing, providing students with the support they need to graduate high school prepared for college and the workforce, and helping hard-working families become financially stable. United Way identifies the root causes of poverty and works strategically to solve them by building alliances across all sectors, funding targeted programs and advocating for change. For more information, visit www.unitedwayla.org.
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SOURCE United Way of Greater Los Angeles
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