Contact:
Warren Slocum, Chief Elections Officer
Phone: (650) 363-4988 E-mail: wslocum@smcare.org

Aternate:
Kriselle Laran, democracyLIVE! Coordinator
Phone: (650) 599-1335 E-mail klaran@smcare.org

Hundreds of County High School Students Hit the eSlates
democracyLive! 2008 participants are training to work at the polls on Tsunami Tuesday

Redwood City, CA – With democracyLIVE! 2008 training well underway, hundreds of county high school students are preparing to work at the polls for the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary and are eagerly awaiting their opportunity to witness democracy in action on Election Day.

About 400 students from 23 public and private high schools are participating in the student poll worker program of the San Mateo County Elections Office this election.

“democracyLIVE! 2008 is an excellent opportunity for high school students to get a firsthand look at the elections process and to play a fundamental, hands-on role in the Presidential Primary, even if they are not old enough to vote,” said San Mateo County Chief Elections Officer Warren Slocum. ”We’re thrilled to see nearly every school in the county represented.”

Students are undergoing two hours of training after school to learn the eSlate voting system, polling place procedures and how to assist voters; trainings will continue until Feb. 4. Schools were encouraged to contribute at least 25 students, and applications are still trickling in. Participating students must be a U.S. citizen, 16 years old on Election Day, hold a 2.5 grade point average, and have permission from their teacher and a parent or guardian.

Students will work alongside veteran poll workers to set up beginning at 6 a.m., undertake all polling place responsibilities throughout Election Day, and stay until 9 p.m. to close the polls. Seventeen-year-old democracyLIVE! 2008 participant Tara Galvez said she is looking forward to seeing the different types of people who will come to vote at her assigned polling place.
“It’s my first chance to be a civil servant and do something for the country,” said Galvez, who is a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School. “If I can’t vote yet, then I figured I’d help out in a different way.”

Students are paid $125 for their time spent in training and their service on Election Day, though students at some schools, such as Burlingame High School, are choosing to donate their earnings to receive credit for community service instead. Students are eligible to receive up to 20 hours of community service credit for participating, depending on their school’s policies.

San Mateo County teachers like Diane Martinelli, who teaches American Government for seniors at Menlo-Atherton High School, are strong advocates of the program. Martinelli said democracyLIVE! 2008 allows students to see firsthand the value of civic participation and increases the likelihood that they’ll take responsibility to register to vote once they’re able.

“If they get this opportunity now, they’ll be more active participants in their democracy later on,” Martinelli said. “Hearing it in class is one thing, but witnessing it is another. There’s nothing like hands-on teaching or hands-on learning.”

In 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger expanded California’s student poll worker program to allow high school students age 16 and older with at least a 2.5 GPA participate. Previously, only high school seniors were allowed. The Elections Office launched democracyLIVE! the same year, and saw nearly 500 students participate from 21 high schools on the Peninsula.

Schools participating for the Feb. 5 Presidential Primary include:

“With 2,000 poll workers required to adequately staff San Mateo County’s 448 precincts, our student poll workers are critical to a successful Election Day. They do a great job assisting voters and are quick learners of the eSlate voting system,” Slocum said. “I am proud of our relationship with San Mateo County’s high schools, which creates a unique opportunity for students to participate in our democracy and understand the principles this country was founded on.”

The Elections Office is also recruiting students to participate in democracyLIVE! 2008 for the June 3 Statewide Direct Primary and the Nov. 4 Presidential General Election. For more information, visit the democracyLIVE! 2008 Web site at http://www.shapethefuture.org/democracylive/default.asp.