The “Empowering Young Voters Project” by the San Joaquin County League of Women Voters aims to register high school seniors in two Manteca Unified high schools to vote in the upcoming June Primary election.
League representatives are speaking to classes of seniors at both Weston Ranch High School and Lathrop High School. The League’s hope is that students will understand their critical role as voters and will develop a lifelong habit of voting in each election to make their voices heard and also develop a desire for civic participation.   
Manteca’s Bea Lingenfelter – a former school district superintendent – said her county chapter is following the lead of other leagues nationally to inspire young Americans to register and vote.  The League of Women Voters has always had a focused and targeted effort on the importance of civic participation in a healthy democracy, she said.
The Leagues work across our region, state and nation to ensure the free exercise of the right to vote for all citizens, she added.
“The youth vote, considered to be ages 18-24, have had one of the lowest percentages of registered and active voters in recent elections,” Lingenfelter said. “America’s young people are our leaders of tomorrow in a world full of diversity, opportunity and challenges.  Our state and nation need to hear those young voices both in the media and at the ballot box.”
The San Joaquin County League began working in September with the county office of education and the county registrar of voters as well as high schools in Stockton and Manteca. They have met with administrators and teachers, sharing the mission of its project and planning to meet with senior students in Government and Economics classes.
Lingenfelter explained that the students must be citizens and 18 before the next election in June or at least 16 and desire to preregister to vote in the upcoming election for which they would be eligible. 
She noted that the League’s brief presentation in the classrooms focuses on the importance of voting in a democracy and explaining why each vote makes a difference in the representatives who are chosen to formulate the laws that impact communities.
“We have found the students are concerned about many issues, which they have discussed in their classrooms, or heard about in the media.  Students are energized about issues such as jobs, the environment, immigration and gun violence,” she said.

To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.