Title
Ms. Newbill - Recognizing California Student Mock Election Day, October 6, 2026, in the Los Angeles Unified School District (Res-001-26/27) (Waiver of Board Rule 72)
description
Whereas, The bedrock of American democracy relies upon an active, informed, and educated electorate;
Whereas, Young people represent the future of our democracy, yet historically experience lower voter turnout rates than older demographics;
Whereas, The California Secretary of State and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction have designated Tuesday, October 6, 2026, as the California Student Mock Election Day for middle and high schools across the State of California;
Whereas, Providing students with hands-on, realistic experiences with the electoral process including researching candidates, debating statewide ballot propositions, and casting mock ballots has been proven to foster lifelong voting habits;
Whereas, California law allows eligible 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote so that their registration automatically becomes active on their 18th birthday;
Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District honors the trailblazing legacy, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication of the courageous women who have served as members of the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District; and
Whereas, The District is fully committed to promoting civic literacy, student leadership, and democratic engagement across all secondary campuses; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District hereby designates October 6, 2026, as Student Mock Election Day across all District middle and high schools;
Resolved further, That the Superintendent is directed to work with the Division of Instruction and school principals to ensure that:
1. Each secondary school designates a Mock Election Coordinator to register the campus by the state deadline of September 30, 2026.
2. Schools integrate the Secretary of State’s Tools for Success curriculum and non-partisan voter information guides into social studies and civics coursework leading up to the election.
3. Campuses utilize the approved 2026 voting pathways (including paper ballots, interactive PDFs, or Microsoft Forms) to securely tally and submit student votes to the Secretary of State by close of the voting window; and, be it finally
Resolved, That all District high schools are strongly encouraged to pair this event with a non-partisan Voter Preregistration Drive utilizing registertovote.ca.gov <http://registertovote.ca.gov/> to ensure eligible students take their first official steps toward full democratic participation.
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