The deadline is looming to register to vote in time for the March primary, so Nashville election officials have been visiting dozens of high schools this month. Before Monday, they hope to set a teen voter registration record.
At John Overton High School, twice as many students signed up this year compared to last.
In fact, it was a chaotic scene in the school’s atrium on Wednesday. There were volunteers with the Election Commission, including students — they were trying to kind of rope their friends in, coaxing them to come over to get registered. The students could then step into a voting booth to cast a sample ballot.
Pollworkers made it simple and fast.
Student leaders, like senior Saman Brifkany, tried to make it cool.
“It’s like ‘Rock the Vote.’ You just try to get kids more involved in civic engagement. And I think we did a pretty good job at it,” he said. “We doubled the amount [of registrations]. I think they have a lot of interest right now.”
More:
Nashville voter registration website
Despite setting a teen registration record last year, people under age 24 made up just 2 percent of voters in the November election.
Congressman Jim Cooper says some act too late to get registered.
“So many of them get interested at the last minute, but they’re not registered,” he said. “We’re trying to help them deal with that today.”
Cooper and other leaders
spoke at two dozen school assemblies in advance of the registration drives happening this week.
So far, poll officials are feeling the benefit of a presidential year — although they know that registrations don’t always translate into high turnout.
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