Several years ago, I unexpectedly met a friend at the downtown Farmers Market, and she invited me to attend the next League of Women Voters meeting. I did so and have been an active member since then. Why did I join the League? Because of my interest in helping educate voters about the electoral process and promoting voter engagement.

One of the first projects I volunteered to take on was contacting high school principals about the League coming to their schools to register U.S. Government students to vote. At that moment, I began the routine of organizing League volunteers to visit high schools each spring. Those visits helped me realize that I enjoy meeting and talking with high school seniors. They express so much optimism and seem to possess endless energy. Sometimes, the students share their plans for the future with me. Some students who register tell me they are registering because their parents told them it was their civic duty, while others register because they are interested in supporting a particular issue or candidate.

When engaging with students who choose not to register, they often respond that their vote won’t count. To that, I remind them that voting rights leaders were beaten and horribly abused so that one day, we would all have the right to vote and have our voices heard in a democracy. Perhaps they reconsidered later??

I am grateful to my LWVFRA colleagues who have offered their time to help with voter registration events. In our efforts to sign up new voters, we arrived in Milford at 7:35 a.m. to register high school students and staffed our League tent in sweltering parks. Nonetheless, it’s been a rewarding experience, and I look forward to continued involvement with the League.