KENNEWICK, WA – In celebration of National Voter Registration Day, River View High School in Finley is partnering with the Benton County Sheriff’s Department to host a Voter Registration Drive at the school from 8 AM to 1:30 PM on Tuesday, September 25. As part of the drive, Legislative Representative and Sheriff’s Deputy, Brad Klippert, will present to the RVHS Civics and US History classes on the importance of becoming a registered voter.
In Washington State, any legal US citizen over the age of 17 may register to vote, and will be eligible to vote when he or she turns 18. Both the US History and Civics classes offered to RVHS juniors and seniors are mandatory classes as part of Washington’s graduation requirements. With the upcoming November 8th General Election, the high school’s voter registration drive and presentation provides an opportunity for interested students to meet registration deadlines (October 8th for online or mail-in, and October 29th for in-person).
While Washington State votes by mail, and easy-to-use online portals like “MyVote” provide citizens with even more convenience at their fingertips, low voter turnout remains a problem not only locally, but across the country. According to a recent article published by National Public Radio, “You have to go back to the turn of the 20th century to find a midterm election when a solid majority of people voted...” (NPR, 2018)
While some non-voters want to vote but face a variety of registration problems, others who can vote simply choose not to exercise their civic right. Reasons for choosing not to vote often include being too busy, the belief that their vote won’t make a difference and/or the system is corrupt, or concerns that they don't know enough to vote. RVHS Principal Chris Davis, says he wants to help eliminate any voter registration barriers facing his students.
“This is the first time we’ve done something like this at RVHS in a quite a while,” states Principal Davis, “and it’s long overdue. Our staff is excited to bring this opportunity to Finley’s kids and help them understand that their voice does matter.”
On September 25, all eligible RVHS students will be given the opportunity to register to vote using paper registration packets (now available in 18 different languages in Washington). Community members interested in registering to vote are also encouraged to stop by the high school between 8 AM and 1:30 PM, where additional voter registration packets and assistance will be available. For more information, contact Finley PIO Molly Curtiss at 509.544.5787 or mcurtiss@esd123.org.
###