Vote for Human Rights
Resources to educate for active participation in local, state, and federal elections.
Where is it Declared We Have the Human Right to Vote?
UDHR Article 21: Right to Participate in Government and in Free Elections
Take Action: If You Only Have…
60 Seconds
5 minutes
- Get registered to vote in California
- 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
Fast Facts About Voting in the U.S.
The Youth Vote
- 47 million 18- to 29-year-olds are eligible to vote in the 2020 election. (VOA News)
- 18-21-year-olds were responsible for 4% of all votes cast in the 2018 midterm elections. They totaled 4.5 million votes, which was 30% of eligible voters in that age group. (Pew Research Center)
- As of July 3, 2020, 2.65 million (12.66%) of California registered voters are 18-25-years-old. (CA Secretary of State)
- More than 500,000 California 16- and 17-year-olds have taken advantage of voter pre-registration since the program launched in fall 2016. Their voter registration will automatically activate when they turn 18. (CA Secretary of State)
- 287,283 of California’s pre-registered students have “aged-up” and are now registered voters as of December 30, 2019. (CA Secretary of State)
- 125,902 Los Angeles County 16- and 17-year-olds are pre-registered to vote as of February 2020. (CA Secretary of State)
General Electorate
- A record 20.9 million people in California are registered to vote ahead of the 2020 presidential election. That’s 83.5% of eligible residents. (ABC News)
- More than 211 million persons were registered to vote in the U.S. for the 2018 midterm elections, an increase of 11% over the 2014 midterm elections. More than 120 million Americans voted in the 2018 midterm elections, a turnout rate of 52%. (Election Administration and Voting Survey)
- 16 states and DC have approved automatic voter registration, but only 12 of those states will have it in place in time for the 2020 general elections. 24 states will have same-day registration in place for November 2020. (HRW)
- The U.S. ranks 26th out of 32 of highly developed, democratic states in voter turnout. (Pew Research Center)
- 2020 Voter Registration Deadlines by State
- Voter ID Requirements by State
“Freedom Summer” Documentary
Take Action
Get Registered to Vote
Become a Poll Worker
Resources for Voters
- HRW: Voting for Human Rights: A Guide for 2020
- Instructions for Returning Your Vote by Mail Ballot for LA County
- What’s Your Voting Plan?
Get Out The Youth Vote!
- On November 3, 2020, California voters will decide:
Proposition 18: Primary Voting for 17-Year-Olds Amendment
Voter Suppression
Voter Registration, ID Laws and Roll Purges
Voter Intimidation
Felony Disenfranchisement
- On November 3, 2020, California voters will decide:
Proposition 17: Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment
Gerrymandering
Voting During Covid-19
Why are so many voting-age Americans not voting?
- Aljazeera Opinion: In the US, Voter Suppression Will Remain the Norm
- Teaching Tolerance: 5 Myths About Voting
- Sanders Institute: Why Don’t Americans Vote?
- LA Times: “No offense, but I never vote”
Educator’s Portal–Lesson Plans
For educators interested in teaching students about their human right to vote, HREUSA, Teaching Tolerance and PBS have created free lesson plans and resources:
- HRE USA: Your Vote, Your Voice 2020 Toolkit
- “Teach This” Discussion Guides:
- Professional Development Resources: These PD resources include best practices and strategies for building community, tailoring instruction, and engaging families and communities throughout the election season.
- Lesson: Voter Suppression
- “Freedom Summer” Documentary: A look back at the summer of 1964, when more than 700 student activists took segregated Mississippi by storm, registering voters, creating freedom schools and establishing the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Watch the film’s trailer (3:30)
- Watch the full feature-length film (1:52:17)
Contact the STF Team if you would like additional resources or can help us curate our teacher’s portal to your needs.