The Caileigh Lynn McDowell Foundation
And Woodland Hills Students Are
Working To Register Young Voters
Y
oung voters comprise half of the
voting population, making them
a commanding political force.
Unfortunately, not all who can vote
will, meaning that fewer young people
may get to directly influence issues that
might affect their lives for years to come,
including things like college tuition reform
and federal job programs.
The youth vote has the potential to
be extremely influential in this country.
While young voter
participation in 2016
declined by 2% from
a record 52% at the
2008 election, today,
the voting population
includes almost equal
parts millennials and baby boomers
suggesting it is merely a matter of time
before millennials become the largest
and most powerful group driving future
elections in the U.S.
Caileigh McDowell (WHHS class of 2016)
was an astute pupil of democracy and
the power of one’s voice in government.
She believed in the rights of all people
to have their voices heard. Tragically,
Caileigh passed away in 2016 from the
complications of
undiagnosed Crohn’s
Disease, just 9 days
before she could
register to vote. In
honor of her passion for
the power of the vote,
The Caileigh Lynn McDowell Foundation
conducts Pop-Up! Voter Registration
events https://www.caileighsfightsong.
com/pop-up-voter-registration for 18 year-
old first-time voters.
The foundation believes that this effort
to register eighteen year olds to vote will
have a ripple effect in the community
by also inspiring families of these young
people to register and vote too. Pop-Up!
Voter Registration events are held in
partnership with Woodland Hills High
School teacher Brad Zolnak and Woodland
Hills High School US Government students.
In just the last several months, the events
have registered nearly 300 students!
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WOODLAND HILLS