In a few years, you will be 18-years-old and able to vote. It is also a presidential election year, and a year in which Colorado chooses a new U.S. Senator, and all the seats we hold in the House of Representatives are on the ballot as well. In American history, women and 18-year-olds have not always had the right to vote (or run as a candidate for office), but now they do, and you will. It will not only be your right to vote, but a wonderful way to honor the women who fought for our right to vote in every election. Voting is also the best (and easiest) way to tell the government where you stand on the issues and whom you think is best able to make decisions that will affect you and your sister Girl Scouts. In the Senior Behind the Ballot Badge, we will explore the way people get elected to office, and the importance of voting both here at home and around the world.
Step Two: Investigate the Ins and Outs of Voting
Learn the very easy, but important steps that are required to vote in Colorado by completing one or more of the activities below.
Research voter access. Research the history of Colorado’s law that mails every registered voter a ballot. How do you register to vote? Has this led to more voter turn-? Where can voters drop off ballots if they don’t want to pay for a stamp. How is voter fraud avoided? How can voters correct a mistake they made or replace a damaged ballot? Design a pamphlet or video with instructions on how to vote at home, and how to turn in your ballot, along with FAQs for how to fix common problems.
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Research voting technologies. Each county elects a Clerk and Recorder, whose job it is to run elections, and select the method by which the voters cast their ballots. Look at three different counties or states to see how voting technology choices differ from region to region. Are there still those that use the manual punch cards, or machines with manual buttons and a handle to pull once the full ballot has been voted? What role do computers play in helping voters cast their ballots, and helping the Clerk and Recorder’s Office count the ballots? What common accommodations are made for those who need assistance, such as people who are blind, can’t read, don’t speak English? How is fraud avoided? What are the challenges that people face with the technology that currently exists? What are the pros and cons to internet or smart phone voting? Share your findings with your troop, on the GSCO Blog, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Twitter and Instagram users should also use #GSColo.
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Research Voter Registration. Research the requirements for being an eligible voter in Colorado? How old to you have to be? What does it mean to be a resident? What sorts of things cause you to lose your eligibility? What are the ways you can register to vote? Is the motor-voter registration access enough? Why or why not? What are the barriers to registration? What are the pros and cons to automatic registration once a person turns 18? Do you support automatic voter registration? Come up with a PSA to support your position and share it on the GSCO Blog, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Twitter and Instagram users should also use #GSColo.
We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.
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