Thoughts on Hanover, NH. I grew up in Hanover and was class of ’84. Some of what was true then about being a student there, may still be true, and Hanover students may not be encountering the same obstacles that students in other towns/cities are.
- The high school is only a few blocks from the town offices where one registers to vote. (In fact, a student would have an advantage in that they can walk and don’t have to worry about parking. Parking in Hanover at certain times can be a nightmare.)
- Almost all Hanover kids by the time they’re 18 have driver’s licenses, and of those, most will have passports.
- In the mid-80s Hanover High was a partially open campus. It would be reasonably easy for a student to walk over to the town offices and register to vote between classes. I don’t know what current rules are. But, if the campus is not open, a parent’s note should suffice for the student to be able to leave to register.
- Being able to vote was considered a point of pride, at least in my class.
One question: doesn’t same day registration skew the percentages of voting? Eg when you register on Election Day you just vote right after. Not saying It’s a bad thing just questioning the numbers. Have seen same day registration be effective in Waterville ME where many Colby students could show up register and vote all in one visit.
Same-day registration is helpful, and as our report shows, many young people take advantage of it. But it can't, on its own, overcome the obstacles to registration that NH puts in the way. What we see everywhere is that high percentages of young people turn out when they are registered. You can check out our deck on Understanding Youth Turnout here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eaC6CJe3WiHgHhp-Z5ZAUZ9p-SWZuk7P_3S3YLNMSHo/edit?usp=sharing
Thoughts on Hanover, NH. I grew up in Hanover and was class of ’84. Some of what was true then about being a student there, may still be true, and Hanover students may not be encountering the same obstacles that students in other towns/cities are.
- The high school is only a few blocks from the town offices where one registers to vote. (In fact, a student would have an advantage in that they can walk and don’t have to worry about parking. Parking in Hanover at certain times can be a nightmare.)
- Almost all Hanover kids by the time they’re 18 have driver’s licenses, and of those, most will have passports.
- In the mid-80s Hanover High was a partially open campus. It would be reasonably easy for a student to walk over to the town offices and register to vote between classes. I don’t know what current rules are. But, if the campus is not open, a parent’s note should suffice for the student to be able to leave to register.
- Being able to vote was considered a point of pride, at least in my class.
One question: doesn’t same day registration skew the percentages of voting? Eg when you register on Election Day you just vote right after. Not saying It’s a bad thing just questioning the numbers. Have seen same day registration be effective in Waterville ME where many Colby students could show up register and vote all in one visit.
Same-day registration is helpful, and as our report shows, many young people take advantage of it. But it can't, on its own, overcome the obstacles to registration that NH puts in the way. What we see everywhere is that high percentages of young people turn out when they are registered. You can check out our deck on Understanding Youth Turnout here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1eaC6CJe3WiHgHhp-Z5ZAUZ9p-SWZuk7P_3S3YLNMSHo/edit?usp=sharing