At the recent March for Our Lives demonstrations across the country, young people were seen brandishing signs warning, “227 Days Until Midterm Elections,” “Vote them Out!”, and “Congress Does Not Speak For Me,” and encouraged to spread the word on Twitter at the hashtag #Vote­ThemOut. With an uproar in student involvement in politics across the country due to the recent wave of gun control activism, many students are determined to find ways to have their voices heard. At the PMHS student walkout, students who were not yet eligible to vote were encouraged to phone legislators to make their positions heard on school safety. Now the focus is turning on those who will be eligible to vote.

Students who are 17 or older are now eligible to register to vote, and those turning 18 before November 6, will be able to cast their vote in the midterm election. Pelham students are given the opportunity to register in their social studies class. However, there are other opportunities the school gives to students to register.
Westchester County provides a way for students to register online at http://citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/register-to-vote. In order to register to vote, you must:
be a U.S. Citizen
be 18 years of age by the date of the general, primary or other election in which you want to vote.
live at your present address at least 30 days before an election.
not be in prison or on parole for a felony conviction.
not claim the right to vote elsewhere.

Finally, some students will turn 18 and will be voting for the first time while they are attending college out-of-state. Here’s some helpful information.

If you initially register to vote in New York, you will need to cast your vote by absentee ballot. You can register to vote in either your home state or where you attend college, but you cannot be registered in both locations. If you choose to register in New York, you can download an application for absentee ballot https://www.elections.ny.gov/votingabsentee.html. You must send in your request 30 days in advance of the election, so if you are planning on voting in November, fill out and submit as soon as you get to school in September to ensure that you receive your ballot.