On National Voter Registration Day, which fell this year on September 25, Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region’s HyeVotes teamed up with the Los Angeles City Clerk’s Office to educate 11th and 12th grade students of Ferrahian Armenian School and Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School about the importance of voter registration and making our voices heard in the political arena.
As a result of the visit, HyeVotes and the LA City Clerk’s Office were able to pre-register 11th and 12th grade students to vote once they turn 18 years of age. The presentation delivered by HyeVotes and the LA City Clerk’s Office provided an overview about how voting makes a difference and helps individuals become active members of their local communities. It also provided a step by step process of how to register to vote.
“It’s important for the Armenian American community to be represented in all levels of government, and the first step to this is becoming a registered voter. Through our united vote our community can be a louder voice in the local municipalities, state government and in the nation’s capital,” said ANCA-WR Government Relations Coordinator Serob Abrahamian.
Voter pre-registration was launched in May 2017. Pre-registration allows 16 and 17 year olds to register to vote and in doing so makes them active voters when they turn 18. Pre-registration also allows 16 and 17 year olds sufficient time and opportunity to get prepared to vote.
The new online pre-registration applies to California youth who are 16 or 17 and meet the following criteria:
· A United States citizen and a resident of California,
· Not currently in state or federal prison or on parole for the conviction of a felony, and
· Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court (for more information, please see Voting Rights: Persons Subject to Conservatorship).
Click here to pre-register today.
For more helpful information about the voting process, click here.
The ANCA-WR HyeVotes initiative was launched in 2012, as a region wide, non-partisan initiative to engage community members in the electoral process. The efforts of HyeVotes in coalition with a network of non-profit organizations, student groups, and community members, are intended to register and encourage the community to vote in Elections while also serving as a source for voter information.
The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region is the largest and most influential Armenian-American grassroots advocacy organization in the Western United States. Working in coordination with a network of offices and supporters around the country, the ANCA-WR advances the concerns of the Armenian American community on a broad range of issues.