The Maryland General Assembly passed SB 128, a bill directing schools to teach the U.S. Constitution, Maryland Constitution and give eligible students an opportunity to register to vote. FairVote has been a vocal advocate for strengthening the state's civics curriculum and giving students an opportunity to register to vote before they leave high school. FairVote's Youth Voter Registration and Education Project will help Maryland high schools meet the new requirement through a voting curriculum available in Fall 2007. Federal law already requires that schools celebrate Constitution and Citizenship Day on September 17th, but the Maryland bill specifies what teachers should include in their curriculum to fulfill the preexisting requirement. This bill is a great first step toward FairVote’s goal of the government sharing the responsibility of voter registration with its citizens and educating students about voting before graduation. Former FairVote board member and first-term Senator Jamie Raskin introduced the bill.
UPDATE: House of Delegates Passes Bill 138-1 (3/31/07)
[Read SB 128]
[Learn the history of Constitution Day]
[High School Registration FAQ]
FairVote board member, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) proposed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote. With the support of fifteen co-sponsors, Rep. Jackson’s amendment would explicitly guarantee all Americans the right to vote, which would eliminate the patchwork system of election laws that is currently in place. Because there is no right to vote clearly stated in the U.S. Constitution, individual states set their own electoral policies and procedures in areas such as ballot design, polling hours, voting equipment, voter registration requirements and ex-felon voting rights. As a result, our electoral system is divided into 50 states, more than 3000 counties and approximately 13,000 voting districts, all separate and unequal.