2012 California Student Mock Election - Letters (CA Dept of Education):

2012 California Student Mock Election

Joint letter from the California Department of Education and the California Secretary of State regarding the 2012 California Student Mock Election.

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
TOM TORLAKSON, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
1430 N Street, Suite 5602
Sacramento, CA 95814-5901
916-319-0800

CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE
DEBRA BOWEN, Secretary of State
1500 11th Street, 6th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814-4311
916-653-7244

April 10, 2012

Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, and High School and Middle School Principals:

SAVE THE DATE!
MYVOTE CALIFORNIA STUDENT MOCK ELECTION

The 2012 fall election season will be filled with opportunities to make democracy come alive for young people. That is why we are pleased to invite you to hit the campaign trail with your high school and middle school students and teachers by encouraging them to participate in the MyVote California Student Mock Election we are holding on Tuesday, October 30, 2012.

Working with the California Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools, and in coordination with the National Student/Parent Mock Election, the MyVote California Student Mock Election helps young people discover the importance of elections and the power their vote has in our democracy. It will build on the excitement of the 2012 presidential election, giving students firsthand experience with the electoral process. Students will study the issues and candidates, then make their voices heard along with thousands of their peers in California and across the United States.

School registration is currently underway on the MyVote California Student Mock Election Web page athttp://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/studentmockelection.htm. We hope every school that registers will make this a campus-wide activity. A fact sheet on the Student Mock Election is attached for your review.

All schools that register by September 21 will receive printed ballots, posters, stickers and other materials by mail. These materials will also be available on the Student Mock Election website for schools that register after that date. There, you will also find a collection of standards-based lesson plans designed to stir students’ interest in voting and make their mock election a rewarding experience.

With your involvement, every high school and middle school student will have a chance to discover that democracy is a living, breathing thing that only flourishes when we all take part. Together, we can inspire a new generation of active, informed young voters who eagerly await each opportunity to exercise their precious constitutional right.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the Student Mock Election Team, by phone at 916-651-3070 or by e-mail at MyVote@sos.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

TOM TORLAKSON
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
California Department of Education