PRESS RELEASE

PR26-117
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2026
Contact: sospress@sos.ca.gov
 

California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., and California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond Call for High School Voter Education Weeks Participation
 

Sacramento, Calif. – California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D., and California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond are calling for students to participate in High School Voter Education Weeks.

California Education Code section 49040(a) designates the last two full weeks of April and September as High School Voter Education Weeks. These weeks provide an opportunity for high schools and their students to partner with county elections officials to promote civic education and participation.

Secretary Weber, in partnership with California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, issued a letter encouraging all California high schools to participate in High School Voter Education Weeks, September 14-25, 2026.

Participating high school students have the opportunity to learn how to pre-register to vote, how to become a student election poll worker, and how to organize voter registration drives on their campuses. Eligible students, ages 16 and 17, are encouraged to pre-register to vote, ensuring automatic registration upon turning 18.

More than 1.5 million eligible California high school students have pre-registered to vote since the pre-registration program began in September 2016.

"High School Voter Education Weeks empower our youth with the knowledge and tools necessary to engage in our electoral process," noted Secretary Weber. "Our goal is to inspire the next generations to understand the importance of their constitutional right to vote, the power of voting, and the impact they can have on shaping their futures, our communities, our state, and our country."

###