Model civic engagement in 3 easy steps:
Countdown to the Nov 5, 2024
General Election
Last day to register: Oct 7, 2024
Vote by Mail application due: Oct 25, 2024
Early voting: Oct 21-Nov 1, 2024
Election Day: Nov 5, 2024 7 AM -7 PM
Sign Up for Election Text Reminders
Education is on the ballot
at every level.
Grade 1 Social Studies TEKS: “The student understands and can identify the characteristics of good citizenship, including truthfulness, justice, equality, respect for oneself and for others, responsibility in daily life, and participation in government by educating oneself about the issues, respectfully holding public officials to their word, and voting.”
Everyone has a job to do!
How can you help create a culture of voting?
Superintendents
1. Make sure all district employees (new hires and continuing employees) are registered to vote.
2. Share important voter registration, early voting, and election day information with all district employees.
3. Host candidate forums – invite all candidates, ask questions related to public education, and remain non-partisan.
4. Facilitate voting for employees – allow them to vote at lunch or during planning periods.
5. Aim for 100% turnout of all district employees – encourage competitions between campuses for highest voter turnout.
6. Hold a “Why Vote?” video contest for students and post the winning videos on the district website.
7. Sign up for voter updates.
8. Sign up for election text reminders.
Principals
1. Register eligible students and staff to vote twice each year (and keep voter registration cards in the office all year round).
2. Aim for 100% campus voter turnout among staff and eligible students – hold competitions between grades, blue jeans days for “I Voted” stickers, etc.
3. Post election dates, hours, and locations on marquees, and include this information in campus newsletters to parents.
4. Hold mock elections with students to help them understand becoming an engaged and educated voter.
5. Host demonstrations of electronic voting machines for new voters.
6. Organize an art contest for students to design voting posters and post entries around the school.
7. Sign up for voter updates.
8. Sign up for election text reminders.
Teachers
1. Be a model of civic engagement by registering to vote, learning about candidates, and voting.
2. Attend candidate forums and listen to how candidates answer questions about school funding, testing, teacher pay, and more.
3. Make plans to go to the polls together during early voting.
4. Have a voting party for friends and make voting fun.
5. Discuss with students the importance of elections and the voting process. Remind them that voting is a civic responsibility.
6. Wear your “I Voted” sticker proudly on early voting days and on election day.
7. Sign up for voter updates.
8. Sign up for election text reminders.
Parents/Community Members
1. Register to vote – make sure your registration is up to date and active.
2. Vote in every election and bring your children to see you exercise your civic duty.
3. Visit your elected officials in your district office and talk to them about what is important to you and your family. (Bring your children.)
4. Become a voter registrar in your county so you can help register others at school and neighborhood events.
5. Instill community pride and invite elected officials, local businesses, and non-profit organizations to your school events.
6. Attend candidate forums and listen to how candidates answer questions about school funding, testing, teacher pay, and more.
7. Sign up for voter updates.
8. Sign up for election text reminders.
Trustees
1. Commit to supporting a district-wide culture of civic participation. (sample board resolution)
2. Aim for 100 percent voter registration and turnout of eligible employees and students.
3. Support your superintendent, administrators, and educators in their efforts to make this vision a reality.
4. Coordinate with city and county officials to jointly encourage voting.
5. Make district-wide voter registration and turnout a metric in your district plans.
6. Talk about the importance of voting at every high school graduation and have voter registrars on-site to register eligible students.
7. Sign up for voter updates.
8. Sign up for election text reminders.
Legal Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
- Encourage staff, students, parents, and community members to vote.
- Share factual information about voter registration, polling locations, and dates and hours of voting.
- Teach TEKS about civics, citizenship, and voting. Register voters, hold non-partisan candidate forums, ensure staff and students have time to vote.
- Advocate for the interests of Texas public education, as long as the advocacy does not use public resources or time to campaign for a specific candidate, political party, or ballot measure.
Don’ts
- Don’t use public funds (including school district resources) to support or oppose a specific candidate, party, or ballot measure.
- Don’t use an internal email system or campus routing system to distribute a message that supports or opposes a specific candidate, party, or ballot measure.
- Don’t electioneer: support or oppose a specific candidate, party, or ballot measure.
The election is over. What comes next?
The midterm elections culminated last week and are over except for a handful of runoff elections. TEV partner, ATPE, did a fantastic write-up on the elections with detailed information on the results of the statewide, legislative, and SBOE elections. You can find it here. As we often repeat, education was on the ballot at every…