EXTRA CREDIT

REGISTER TO VOTE

One argument for public education asserts that a democracy needs an educated body of voters in order to make the best possible choices for our governmental leaders. Sadly, many Americans simply do not vote: only 61.4% of US citizens eligible to vote actually voted in the 2016 election, and of the US citizens between the ages of 18 and 29, only 46.1% voted (Source: US Census Bureau). 2017 is considered an "off-year" election because no presidential or senatorial elections are being held, but there are lots of important local races for judges and for school boards that will directly impact your lives in the form of legal rulings and taxation policies that are on the ballot. You can find out what your specific locality is voting on at the League of Women Voters website. Don't miss your opportunity to participate in the most important part of being a US citizen: voting.

To encourage you to vote, please register to vote. Here are your options:

• US Citizens over 18: register to vote (DEADLINE TO REGISTER IF YOU AREN'T ALREADY is TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10th). You can register online here. Once you have your voter registration card (old and newly registered voters), print a copy and then use a dark marker or white-out to hide your political party affiliation: I don't want or need to know which party (if any) that you picked. Take a photo of it and email it to me with the subject line: ENG 101 Voter Extra Credit.
• Non-citizens and US Citizens under 18: Please visit http://www.vote411.org/, enter your address in the US, and then review the elections that your neighbors will vote on. Write out who you would vote for, how you would vote on ballot questions, and explain why. Email those responses to me with the subject line: ENG 101 Voter Extra Credit.

Points Possible: 5 points
Due Date: November 3, 2017