Get voter registration going in high school civics classes

As usual, Jesse Jackson’s column “Right to Vote Needs Constitutional Protection” ( Sept. 18) was timely and informative. The fact that voting rights are administered by states is incredibly important for all Americans to know. And the despicable voter suppression laws passed in many red and swing states should be a reminder to all Americans that voter rights need protections.

His call for voter registration reforms include many great ideas, including AVR. Automatic Voter Registration just passed in Illinois after our governor finally signed it the second time around. This law allows Illinoisans to be registered automatically when they visit a state agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, young people do not obtain drivers licenses as enthusiastically as they did in previous decades.

Another idea would be to register high school students during their civics classes. Thanks to the efforts of the League of Women Voters of Illinois, every student must take a civics class during his or her high school career. Most take this class during senior year. Since 17- year- olds can vote in primary elections ( if they will turn 18 by the general election), this would be a great time to sign them up. Teachers in these classes can easily become voter registrars. There is no better lesson to teach in a civics class than the importance of voting in every election.

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