wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > HB 2192 > Original Bill
The legislature recognizes the importance of fostering lifelong civic engagement and that there is an opportunity to align Washington state with the national voting rights day celebrations and activities, both benefiting teachers and improving the civic engagement of high school students. The legislature recognizes that moving some activities from January 16th to the third Tuesday in September allows for teachers to incorporate civic education lessons and voter registration activities closer to the November general election. Therefore, the legislature intends to align Washington state with national civic engagement activities by celebrating national voter registration day.
On January 16th of each year or the preceding Friday when January 16th falls on a nonschool day, there shall be observed within each public school "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day." Annually the state superintendent of public instruction shall duly prepare and publish for circulation among the teachers of the state a program for use on such day embodying topics pertinent thereto and may from year to year designate particular laws for special observance.
Each year on "Temperance and Good Citizenship Day," social studies teachers must, as resources allow, coordinate a voter registration event in each history or social studies class attended by high school seniors.
On the third Tuesday of September of each year, or the following Tuesday if the third Tuesday of September falls on a major religious holiday, each public high school shall observe "National Voter Registration Day."
Each year on "National Voter Registration Day," social studies teachers must, as resources allow, coordinate a voter registration event in each history or social studies class attended by high school seniors and when possible high school students in other grades. This event is part of the future voter program. Teachers must make voter sign up and registration available to all students.
County auditors may, as resources allow, help coordinate elements of the future voter program, and participate in voter registration events for students on "National Voter Registration Day."
On each "National Voter Registration Day" all students 16 years of age or older will be given the opportunity to register to vote or sign up to register to vote online in the classroom as part of the future voter program. Paper registration forms must also be made available in the classroom. Students who cannot use the online registration must be provided a paper registration form. The event must include adequate time for students to complete the registration process in class.
The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the secretary of state, must update and distribute youth voter registration materials annually, by August 1st, for eligible students to register to vote at school. Electronic notification of the availability of the materials must be distributed to high school principals and secondary social studies and history teachers.
The superintendent of public instruction must consult with the secretary of state to provide registration methods that enable the electronic collection of information on the number of students who registered to vote on "National Voter Registration Day," with the goal of achieving at least 50,000 new voter registrations for high school students annually.
Each year the superintendent of public instruction must report on yearly progress toward the goal established in subsection (6) of this section, including the number of high school students registered to vote by county and recommendations for increasing youth voter registration, to the governor and the appropriate standing committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036.
For the purposes of this section:
"Future voter program" refers to the information that may be collected by a number of processes about a future voter. Information about a future voter that is otherwise disclosable under chapter 29A.08 RCW is subject to RCW 29A.08.725.
"Sign up" means the act of providing information relevant to eventual official voter registration, prior to such time that the student will be 18 years of age by the next election.