Civic Engagement
Voter Registration
Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires continual work to protect it and keep it strong. As a citizen, your active civic participation as a voter is essential in that process. In New Jersey, as a 17 year old, you can register to vote now and your voter registration will become active on your 18th birthday. If you are already 18 years old, it's recommended to register now, so you can participate in the next election. View the materials below to get started and register to vote! Please be advised that when clicking on the links below, it may provide you with a prompt and link to send you to the correct location. If prompted, simply click on the link that's presented.
View this quick clip from our NJ Secretary of State, Tahesha Way! Click Here
Register to Vote Online! Click Here
Print out a Voter Registration Application to mail in! Click Here
View Additional Materials Below
New Jersey Voter Information Portal
"As the largest not-for-profit exclusively for young people and social change, DoSomething’s millions of members represent every US area code and 131 countries. Using our digital platform, DoSomething members join our volunteer, social change, and civic action campaigns to make real-world impact on causes they care about. Sorry in advance for the #humblebrag, but here are just a few of our greatest campaigns."
Allows students to informally participate in the election process, view results, debate and discuss current issues.
Bill of Rights Institute's introduction to the way in which we select the President of the United States:
The Electoral College and Popular Vote for the President: billofrightsinstitute.org/e-lessons/the-electoral-college-and-popular-vote-for-the-president
The Electoral College | Homework Help from the Bill of Rights Institute (Youtube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTUnkjI7AEo&feature=emb_title
"Voting is more than just turning 18 and walking up to the voting booth. It requires thought and intent in order to make an educated decision. Think the Vote is a website run by the Bill of Rights Institute. Our goal is to connect you with resources to think critically about the things going on around you. This will also equip you with the skills and information to engage in healthy civil discourse with fellow citizens."
"Established in September 1999, the Bill of Rights Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization that works to engage, educate, and empower individuals with a passion for the freedom and opportunity that exist in a free society. The Institute develops educational resources and programs for a network of more than 50,000 educators and 70,000 students nationwide."
"Founded in 1958, the New Jersey State Bar Foundation has been dedicated to carrying out the charitable and educational endeavors of the organized bar, specifically the New Jersey State Bar Association. In 1988, when it moved to its current location at the New Jersey Law Center in New Brunswick, the Foundation made a concentrated effort to expand its public education efforts. Today, the Foundation stands as a model for law-related education organizations across the country.
Believing that “informed citizens are better citizens,” the Foundation strives to educate everyone in New Jersey—from students to senior citizens—about their rights and responsibilities under the law."
"Why does it have to be so hard to understand what our lawmakers are up to? With Countable, it doesn’t. Countable makes it quick and easy to understand the laws Congress is considering. We also streamline the process of contacting your lawmaker, so you can tell them how you want them to vote on bills under consideration.
You can use Countable to:
Read clear and succinct summaries of upcoming and active legislation.
Directly tell your lawmakers how to vote on those bills by clicking “Yea” or “Nay”.
Follow up on how your elected officials voted on bills, so you can hold them accountable in the next election cycle."
"The National Constitution Center brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution."
"Use GovTrack to track bills for updates by getting alerts and understand the broader context of legislation through our statistical analyses. Read our original research on GovTrack Insider and in our congressional misconduct database.
You can read more about the data we have, including how you can get it. GovTrack was the first to create comprehensive open data about Congress, and we have successfully lobbied Congress to make more and better legislative information available to the public."
"iSideWith.com was started in March 2012 by two friends with two very different views of politics. We are constantly finding and building new ways to boost voter engagement and education using information, data, and breaking technologies."
"Every weekday, NPR's best political reporters are there to explain the big news coming out of Washington and the campaign trail. They don't just tell you what happened. They tell you why it matters. Every afternoon."
"What's the difference between the House and the Senate? How do congressional investigations work? What is Federalist X actually about? Civics 101 is the podcast refresher course on the basics of how our democracy works."