Student-Led Voter Registration Initiative Promotes Student Voice, Civic Engagement, and Leadership

May 5th, 2026

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) has long worked with the Howard County League of Women Voters (LWV) and Board of Elections to facilitate student voter registration.

“Voting is one of the first concrete, independent ‘adult’ actions high school students can take to shape the broader world they live in. By helping them to register to vote, we’re helping to give them a voice and enabling them to influence what happens around them,” says LWV President Laura Mettle.

“Research shows that the earlier people get involved in the voting process, the more likely they are to stay engaged in that process over their lifetime,” adds Guy Mickley, Howard County’s Election director. “Working with high school students gives us the chance to get them involved and engaged at a young age and hopefully lay the foundation for them to remain involved and engaged as they get older.”

Historically, LWV and Board of Elections representatives have gone into high schools to help students register to vote (something Marylanders can do starting at age 16) and speak with them about voting.

“There is so much education that is needed around voting,” says Mettle. “That education involves everything from knowing who the candidates are and what issues are on the ballot to finding polling places and deadlines to submit mail-in ballots. We have worked in parallel with the Board of Elections to make sure that students have this information and are equipped to make informed decisions when it comes time to cast their vote.”

This year, in addition to having LWV and Board of Elections representatives visit schools and share informational resources, HCPSS gave high school students the opportunity to lead and implement their own nonpartisan student voter registration drives.

“There’s a lot of research that shows that student-led voter registration efforts are really powerful,” says former HCPSS principal Nancy Thompson, who worked with Shannon Keeny, HCPSS’ facilitator of Student Partnership, on the initiative. “Not only do they give students the opportunity to build valuable leadership skills; they leverage peer-to-peer relationships to foster interest in and excitement about voting and civic engagement.”

Homewood Center student Amelia was one of many HCPSS students who chose to help register her peers to vote.

“I got involved because I feel passionate about making a positive influence in my community,” she says.

Long Reach High School students Maya and Taylor were motivated to get involved in student voter registration to help amplify student voice.

“One way we can all be heard is through our votes,” Maya says. “I feel it is extremely important to make sure everyone is registered to vote so all voices can be heard, especially the ones that are often overlooked.”

“I was motivated to get involved [in the student voter registration drives] because I believe it’s important for students to understand the value of their voice in a democracy,” adds Taylor. “Many young people don’t realize how much impact they can have through voting, especially once they turn 18. I wanted to help make the process more accessible and encourage my peers to take that first step toward civic engagement. Being part of something that promotes awareness and participation feels meaningful and important.”

In preparation for leading student voter registration efforts, Amelia, Maya, Taylor and many other high school students across Howard County received training from New Voters, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, with support from the LWV and Board of Elections. Students learned how to use various channels to promote voter registration and set up registration stations, as well as address questions and concerns their peers might have about the process.

That training served several purposes, explains Ari Franco of New Voters.

“It equipped student leaders with the tools and information they needed to support their fellow students in the voter registration process. It helped to ensure that the students who were registering to vote had a positive experience doing so. And it helped to build interest and enthusiasm in voting and voter registration among students who aren’t yet old enough to register.”

Such positive energy and enthusiasm are crucial, Franco says.

“When students have positive experiences and associations with voter registration, they will be more inclined to stay involved and engaged longer term.”

Over the course of two weeks, more than 170 students registered to vote.

“With this being the first student-led voter registration drive in Howard County, it was hard to know quite what to expect in terms of numbers,” Franco said. “I’m pleased that many students across the district took advantage of the opportunity to register. I also think we learned a lot and can use those lessons as we plan for future drives.”

“It was great to see the students leading these efforts in the schools,” adds Keeny. “We’re really proud of this collaborative effort between our students, staff and community partners. We are confident that the lessons our students learned about voter registration, leadership and the importance of being active, engaged members of our community will carry beyond their HCPSS experience into adulthood.”