In 2014, Assembly Bill (AB) 1817 was signed by Governor Brown designating the last two full weeks of April and September to be High School Voter Education Weeks. This initiative is supported by California Secretary of State, Alex Padilla.
AB 1817 provides an opportunity for high schools and their students to partner with county elections officials to promote civic education and participation on campus, and foster an environment that cultivates lifelong voters and active citizens. The activities provide nonpartisan information to high school students to encourage them to participate in the election process. Students learn how to register to vote, how to vote by mail, how to find information about candidates and issues, and how to find election results. Student are also encouraged to become Student Poll Workers for upcoming elections.
Also in 2014, Senate Bill (SB) 113 was signed by Governor Brown allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote. Pre-registration does not change the voting age, but allows those individuals to be automatically registered to vote as soon as they turn 18. Students participating in High School Voter Education Weeks activities become Voter Registration Coordinators and assist individuals in pre-registering and registering to vote.