[AAACE-NLA] Voter Registration Activities for the Ineligible to Vote

[djrosen at comcast.net]

NLA Colleagues,

Edna Hoover (Ahuva) has asked me (by e-mail) if there might be ways that
students who are ineligible to vote might participate in voter registration.

I replied that I thought the VERA Web site

	http://www.nelrc.org/Vera/index.htm

answers this question. It says "encourage non-eligible students to talk 
to family members and friends who can vote."  I added that immigrants, 
especially undocumented immigrants, have a stake in this election. 
Although those who are not citizens cannot vote, it is in their interest 
to be sure that those who can vote understand their issues and take them 
into consideration when they vote. And, of course, some day some of the 
undocumented -- and their children -- will be citizens and will be able 
to vote.

Then, in response to my request, Ahuva offered these suggestions herself:

1. Recruit volunteers to work at voter registration tables and polling
places as designated representatives of local community organizations.

2. Set up speakers' bureaus, through local church organizations and 
worker immigrant advocacy groups, to address legislative issues and 
party platforms.

3. Arrange for daycare, headstart and public school parent committees to 
hold formal meetings  with local elected officials.

4. Organize petition drives to demand legislative action on crucial 
immigrant issues where signatures are identified by organizational 
membership rather than residences, e.g. school, church, social club, 
sports club, tenant organization, health clinic, adult education 
program, etc.

David J. Rosen
Adult Literacy Advocate
djrosen at comcast.net