CHICAGO -- While they can't legally cast a ballot themselves yet, dozens of Illinois high school students are working to ensure that people of voting age understand the importance of their civic duty.

As part of the WOKE Project, roughly 130 young people from three Chicago-area high schools are working the phones and pounding pavement to offer nonpartisan election information to eligible voters.

Jasmine Roach, 17, a junior at Prosser Career Academy, said the work they're doing is very important to her, personally.

"I get to vote next year, so I learn a lot through this program," she said. "It helped me learn about the politics, what's going on with the election, what can we do to get our voices heard, especially in the Black and Brown community."

Following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 guidelines, some students are manning a phone bank tonight while others will drop off literature in person. The WOKE Project, which stands for "Working On Knowledge and Equity", brings together educators and students of color for learning beyond the classroom, with a focus on direct engagement in their communities. Thirteen civics classes are part of this week's get-out-the vote effort.

As a junior at Roosevelt High School, Alexandra Moreno, 16, said she enjoys the outreach work and believes the main point of voting is to make communities better.

"I thought it was important for our communities to be more safe, be united, to be more positive," she said. "It's kind of dangerous right now, but that's why we need to vote -- to make power, to make our community safe."

Roach said the WOKE Project helps support young people in the community who are struggling and can feel they have nowhere else to turn.

"They have programs where you can go if your mental health is not OK," she said. "If you don't have money for food, they help out with that. If you need help with homework, they help you with that, they get you tutors."

The WOKE Project is a partnership between Voices of Youth in Chicago Education and Communities United.


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As Michigan voters prepare for the upcoming presidential election, state officials are urging them not to lose sight of vital local races, especially school boards in rural communities.

Down-ballot candidates play a crucial role in shaping the future of education and the overall direction of their communities. Statistics reveal rural Michigan school board elections are usually uncontested, with incumbents winning more than 80% of the time.

Trina Tocco, director of the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, said there are a number of competitive school board elections across the entire state.

"Maybe there's two seats and there might be three people running, or maybe there's a couple of full-term seats and then there's some partial-term seats," Tocco outlined. "Similarly to what we've seen with schoolteachers, which there's a lot of turnover."

Tocco pointed out voters can learn more about candidates by attending forums. A map of forum locations, provided by the Michigan Education Justice Coalition, helps residents find events in their local districts.

Candidate information is also available through Michigan Voter Information Center, which provides sample ballots, and the Michigan chapter of the League of Women Voters which offers voter guides.

Tocco noted her organization has collected candidate questionnaire responses, shedding light on how the hopefuls plan to tackle critical issues, such as how money is allocated within a district.

"We have actually requested all candidates across the state to go to our website and they complete a form," Tocco explained. "They tell us, what do they think about what's important around curriculum, around racial equity in our schools, mental health in our schools."

Tocco encouraged voters to tap into their local networks for insights on candidates. She added the best information sometimes comes from neighbors and fellow voters who know who is running and what they stand for.


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Voters next month will be shaping how future elections operate in many states, including South Dakota, where nonpartisan primaries are on the ballot.

Constitutional Amendment H would shift primaries in South Dakota to an open, "top two system." Every voter would get a single primary ballot listing all candidates and the two in each race with the most votes move on.

Currently, political parties decide which registered voters can participate in their primaries. The Democratic Party now allows registered Democrats, Independents and unaffiliated voters to do so. Republicans have a "closed" primary, for registered party members only.

Joe Kirby, chairman of the group South Dakota Open Primaries, said changing the system would increase participation.

"Candidates would change their messaging so they would appeal to all voters in the state," Kirby explained. "Instead of, as they currently do, appealing to the partisan few that show up for our primary elections."

Only 17% of registered voters in South Dakota cast ballots in this year's primaries, according to the Secretary of State. Kirby pointed out under the current system, more than 150,000 voters are left out.

A similar measure to create a nonpartisan primary was defeated by South Dakota voters in 2016. Kirby noted opponents include what he calls "party bosses" on both sides of the aisle because the new system, he acknowledged, would give more power to voters.

"Our job this election cycle is to get out the word about what it is and how it would work," Kirby emphasized. "Because if people understand it, they tend to like it."

South Dakota is one of several states where voters will be deciding on nonpartisan primaries, including Arizona, Idaho and Montana.


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Purdue University students are pushing back against Tippecanoe County's plan for limited voting access on campus. The county has announced only a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. window on October 24th, leaving students without a full Election Day voting site.

Laila Veidemanis, a Purdue student and West Lafayette City Councilor, expressed her frustration.

"Students should be able to vote on Election Day on campus and not have to walk to City Hall or find transportation to vote," she said.

Tippecanoe County election officials opted against setting up a polling station on campus after reviewing data. They observed a considerable decline in voter registrations from residents on or near campus. In 2020, roughly 6,700 people in the campus area were registered to vote, but by 2024, the figure had fallen to around 3,100.

Veidemanis added that with packed class schedules, extracurriculars, and other commitments, having on-campus voting is essential for students. She recalled how easy voting was in past years, noting that in 2021 she walked from her dorm to cast her ballot.

"And that was not a presidential election year. I do remember it being super easy. As a freshman, I registered. I was given an email of places to vote, and I walked in and voted," she continued.

Mike Schmuhl, Indiana Democratic Party chair, is among those requesting the on-campus Election Day polling location and dissatisfied with the brief window on October 24th.

"At the end of the day, we also think that that's inadequate. Statistics show that particularly in presidential election years there's just higher turnout, more people want to vote - there's more organic knowledge about the election," he contended.


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