Eligible students take steps to register to vote  

Presidential election topic in social studies classes

Oct. 10, 2010

With Election Day drawing closer—just under four weeks to go—students in teacher Scott Emerson’s senior government class received a quick but important lesson about voter registration: how to fill out the form.

With the deadline to register approaching quickly, Mr. Emerson walked students through the New York State Voter Registration Form line-by-line answering questions along the way.

When students had completed the forms, he encouraged those students who are 18 years old—making them legally eligible to vote—to submit their registration to the Albany County Board of Elections by the Oct. 12 deadline so that they would be able to cast ballots in their first election on Tuesday, November 6, which just happens to be a presidential election.

Mr. Emerson said election updates are a regular occurrence in most social studies classes as students discuss the latest news—the presidential debates, for example—and look at poll numbers. He added that social studies teachers are planning a mock election for Nov. 2, with results to be shared on Nov. 5.