On Sept. 27, history teachers set aside time for students to register and pre-register as voters in class. This effort was put together by the League of Women Voters in anticipation of the National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 28.

“The plan today was to show the video to over 1300 students at the two schools at the US History, US History AP, Government, and Government AP classes,” Claudia Hevel said, a representative of the Women League of Voters at Monday night’s MVLA board meeting. 

Eligible students were then directed to the California Secretary of State’s registration website to register or pre-register; students who are 18 years old have the option to register to vote, while students who are 16 or 17 can pre-register. 

“Dr. [Paul] McHenry… talked about the importance of making sure your voice is heard,” senior Yuval Eilat said.

The in-class instruction attempted to make voter registration more accessible and available to high schoolers. While the League of Women Voters spearheaded efforts, collaboration with administration and teachers was integral to its implementation.

“On behalf of the league and my co-leader Claire Noonan, I would like to thank MVHS and LAHS teachers and administrators for their enthusiastic collaboration,” Hevel said at the board meeting.

After displaying a brief video covering the history of the right to vote in the US, teachers also distributed Voters Edge bookmarks containing voter information and blue “Future Voter” bracelets, which many students sported throughout the day.

“I think that the benefits of registering to vote early ensure that teens are able to focus a lot more on what’s going on around them,” Eilat said. “They can make decisions based on what they believe is best for them and everybody else.”