Voting and Human Rights
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 21, voting is a human right. The United Nations General Assembly recently passed a resolution indicating that a healthy environment is also a human right. Now more than ever, we must vote with the future of our planet in mind. This toolkit provides resources for education and active participation in local, state, and federal elections with a focus on fighting climate change. Learn how to exercise, protect, and educate about these rights.
Why Vote For The Planet?
When we vote for the planet, we are voting for elected officials who shape the climate and sustainability policies of our schools, communities and businesses. Each vote is a vote for climate justice that protects future generations and those most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Voters agree that in order to see systemic change locally and globally, climate justice must be addressed. In the United States:
- Communities of color are disproportionately affected by environmental hazards. People of color are more likely to die of environmental causes, and make up more than half of the population living near hazardous waste.
- Historically discriminatory housing, education, employment, and healthcare policies have all increased the inequalities that place communities of color at higher risk of dangerous climate impacts.
The best way to save the planet isn’t necessarily recycling… If you want to do one thing about climate change: Vote.
If you’re a kid and you can’t vote yet, make sure your parents vote.
Bill Nye, the science guy
Take Action: If You Only Have…
60 seconds
- Find out if you are registered to vote
- Bookmark our Resources for Voters page
- Sign the Vote for Planet Pledge
5 minutes
- Get registered to vote in California
- Find out what you need to register to vote
- Sign up to be a poll worker in California
- Sign up to be a Student Election Worker in Los Angeles County
- Download Consent Form
30 minutes
- Develop your Voting Plan and learn your voting options
- Read about “A Simple Way You, Alone, Can Increase US Voter Turnout“
- Check out your Voter Guide: California, New Jersey, National
- Find out how to lobby candidates
- Research candidates’ positions on climate issues
Take Action: Click Each Image To Get Started
Voting Pledges
Candidate Outreach
Mock Elections
In a mock election, high school students get to experience voting using a simplified ballot after receiving background information on the issues. This year, STF’s mock elections are focused on climate policies through the lens of human rights. Invite teachers to bring their students to your mock election where they will hear a short presentation about voting for planet, enter voting booths to cast their ballots, and take action by signing voter pledges and pre-registering to vote.
Not Eligible To Vote?
Here are some other ways you can participate:
- Pre-Register to Vote at 16
- Talk to friends and family about voting
- Sign up to be a poll worker in California
- Sign up to be a Student Election Worker
- Research candidates’ positions on climate issues
- Prepare for conversations with teachers and administrators to get events planned on campus
- Read about “A Simple Way You, Alone, Can Increase US Voter Turnout”
Educator’s Portal–Lesson Plans
For educators interested in teaching students about their human right to vote, please explore the resources below. If you’re looking for climate education resources, visit our library here!
How to Stay Nonpartisan
This article gives strategies and ideas for educators who want to teach the election without showing favor to one side or another. Linking to numerous lesson plans and resources, Learning For Justice offers teachers a great launching point on this page!
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Sciences
Grades: 9-10
Voting Voices Classroom
This curated collection features our best resources for civics education with a focus on elections and voting. The collection includes posters for students of all ages, along with videos, lessons, texts and student tasks for K-8 classrooms as well.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Sciences
Grades: K-12
Democracy Class
Democracy Class is a free, nonpartisan curriculum that educates high school students about the importance and history of voting and pre-registers and registers them to vote. Educators will have access to additional lesson plans on numerous topics.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Sciences
Grades: 9-12
Digital Literacy
The Learning for Justice Digital Literacy Framework offers seven key areas to support students in digital and civic literacy skills. Before we can teach students to become good citizens of the web, we need to teach them how it works and how it can mislead users.
Subjects: English Language Arts, Social Studies
Grades: 9-12
Contact the STF Team if you would like additional educational resources.
Photo credits: Jenna Wilusz (top image), Illustration by George Wylesol (phone illustration), Johnson Publishing Co. (Freedom Summer), National Council of Nonprofits (How to Stay Nonpartisan), Learning for Justice (Voting Voices Classroom), FangXiaNuo/Shutterstock (Democracy Classroom), Getty Images (Digital Literacy)