SCR48 - High School Voter Education Weeks.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 48 CHAPTER 162 Relative to High School Voter Education Weeks. [ Filed with Secretary of State September 02, 2025. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 48, Cervantes. High School Voter Education Weeks. This measure would encourage all Californians to participate in the High School Voter Education Weeks of April 14 to 25, 2025, and September 15 to 26, 2025. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, The Secretary of State, the chief election officer of the state, is dedicated to enhancing democracy by promoting voter registration and encouraging participation in all elections among eligible California voters; and WHEREAS, Pursuant to Section 49040 of the Education Code, the last two full weeks in April and the last two full weeks in September are known as “high school voter education weeks,” during which time persons authorized by the county elections official are allowed to register students and school personnel on any high school campus; and WHEREAS, California is committed to fostering civic engagement and increasing voter participation among youth; and WHEREAS, The youth of California play a critical role in our democratic process by contributing to the selection of our leaders and expressing their perspectives on significant issues; and WHEREAS, Individuals meeting eligibility requirements who are 16 and 17 years of age can preregister to vote and automatically become active voters once they turn 18 years of age; and WHEREAS, Young people should be met in their educational environments, and be provided with the history, knowledge, and resources to engage in the democratic process, for the purpose of revitalizing community ethos and promoting the importance of civic engagement; and WHEREAS, High schools in California are encouraged to offer preregistration and voter registration opportunities to eligible students by providing them access to the state’s online voter registration application or by requesting physical voter registration cards to distribute at their schools; and WHEREAS, High school administrators in California are also encouraged to appoint one or more students to serve as voter outreach coordinators to facilitate student voter registration during High School Voter Education Weeks; and WHEREAS, Students are encouraged to participate in the democratic process by participating in voter education programs, serving as election workers, and motivating their peers, family members, and their communities to register to vote and cast their ballots in future elections; and WHEREAS, California boasts nearly 4,300 high schools with more than 2,000,000 high school students, and since the establishment of student voter preregistration programs, more than 1,300,000 eligible students have used a student voter preregistration program to preregister to vote, which has added nearly 1,100,000 voters to California’s voting rolls; and WHEREAS, With the enactment of Senate Bill 955 of the 2021–22 Regular Session (Chapter 921 of the Statutes of 2022), students in grades 6 to 12, inclusive, are permitted to have one excused absence per year to participate in a civic or political event, provided that the student notifies the school in advance; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature and the Secretary of State, Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., encourage all Californians to participate in the High School Voter Education Weeks of April 14 to 25, 2025, and September 15 to 26, 2025; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.