Summary
In all recent Presidential elections, young people under 25 have voted at lower rates than other ages. This is problematic because it means that young people's voices are less represented in government's policies and officials. To combat this issue, the researcher developed a "mini-lesson" that was presented to two 11th grade U.S. History classes at Palo Alto High School, educating students about civics and voting. Students and staff members at Palo Alto High School were also interviewed to ensure that the lesson effectively met both groups' desires.
Personal Statement
I first became interested in voter turnout when I volunteered at Stanford Votes, helping Stanford students register to vote. When I saw how many students did not know if they were even eligible to vote, I knew this was an issue I wanted to tackle. Voting is one of the most fundamental parts of the U.S., so I knew I wanted to do whatever I could to help make our democracy stronger.