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2003 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 532
Designating November 4, 2003, as Take Your Kids to Vote Day in Virginia.

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 17, 2003
Agreed to by the Senate, February 13, 2003

WHEREAS, in the 1972 general election, 63 percent of American adults voted, a number that dropped to 51 percent in the closely contested 2000 Presidential campaign; and

WHEREAS, among young people, the decline in voter participation rates is even more alarming--although about half of all college students are registered to vote, only about 20 percent actually vote; and

WHEREAS, a major study by CIRCLE (the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) shows that the turnout of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 has fallen by at least 13 percentage points since 1972; and

WHEREAS, partially as a result of this decline, the under-25 age group now constitutes as little as 5.1 percent of the electorate in some election years; and

WHEREAS, reversing this precipitous decline in election participation by young people is obviously crucial to the continued vitality of American democracy; and

WHEREAS, a wealth of research by the Council for Excellence in Government suggests that parents have a major role in their children's future voting habits; and

WHEREAS, one such recent study shows that 75 percent of young adults who grew up with political discussion at home are registered to vote and that young people whose parents regularly voted are twice as likely to vote as their peers; and

WHEREAS, the survey also showed that parents who discuss politics with their children, who take their children to vote, and who make a habit of voting regularly raise children who volunteer, vote, and are otherwise actively engaged in civic and community activities; and

WHEREAS, simply stated, if parents vote regularly, their children are far more likely to vote when they become adults; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate November 4, 2003, Election Day, as Take Your Kids to Vote Day in Virginia; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That each member of the General Assembly be urged to publicize this resolution in their communities and to encourage their constituents to vote and to include their children in the voting process; and, be it

RESOLVED FINALLY, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates post the designation of this day on the General Assembly’s website.