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Voter Education in Leon County

Benjamin Franklin, asked, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, "What have you wrought?" answered, "...a Republic, if you can keep it."

A little more than two hundred years ago our nation's founders embarked upon an ambitious experiment in democratic governance, and since then each generation of Americans has had to face the challenge of how to "keep" our Republic alive and well. As an election administrator, I view voter education as a critical element in the preservation of our Republic.

Voter education serves two major purposes. First, it should educate us about our rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States of America and the importance of civic participation. Secondly, voter education must encompass specific information about voter registration, balloting, polling places, election dates, candidates, and issues; in other words, all the basic information a citizen needs to properly exercise his or her right to vote.

Our office believes that these twin objectives can and should be woven together in any effective voter education program. That has been our goal in Leon County, Florida, and it is one that we have been effective in fulfilling.

Voter education in Florida is a responsibility left almost completely to each of the state's sixty-seven county Supervisor of Elections. The only time the words are used in Florida Law occurs in Chapter 98.451, Florida Statutes, which state:

Given this responsibility the Leon County Supervisor of Elections Office has made it a priority to request the financial resources from the Leon County Commission to develop effective voter education programs aimed at delivering information to registered voters about the elections, and more broadly, about the importance of civic participation.

Our programs are not inexpensive. During the 2000 election cycle Leon County conducted four elections (presidential preference primary, first primary, second primary, and the general election in November) for it's 145,000 voters, at a cost of $1.75 per voter. This cost represents only the cost of production and delivery of materials, not including staff or any other election office personnel cost associated with administering or developing programs.

The first step Leon County took in establishing an effective voter education registration program was reorganizing the staffing plan of the office, creating the position of Voter Outreach/Education Coordinator. A full time position, this person oversees, schedules, and proactively initiates most of the voter education programs we have implemented.

Our voter education efforts may be divided into four areas; school based programs, community based programs, voting information programs, and internet information services.

1. School elections are provided for any public or private school, grades K through 12, in Leon County using the same precinct based optical scan voting system used by their parents to vote. Our office will conduct one election per school per year, with all costs associated with the elections paid by the Elections Office.
2. The Elections Office partners with Kids Voting, a non-profit corporation, to ensure that at every general election children will be allowed to go to the polls and vote on a Kids Voting ballot while their parents are also voting.
3. In-class presentations to students about voting and its importance are also conducted, as requested by the school.
4. University Organizations are contacted and encouraged to initiate registration drives.
5. University events are targeted for registration activities.

1. Volunteer branch offices have been established at over one hundred locations in the county. Voter registration applications may be completed, and depending on the site, mailed to our office on a monthly basis.
2. Community events are scheduled for registration activities. These include festivals, parades, yard sales, holidays, civic events, and fairs and include just about any activity that attracts people. At many of these events a voting machine is set up so the public can vote on "straw ballots", which serves the function of allowing citizens to practice their voting.
3. Naturalization ceremonies, conducted every quarter in the Federal Courthouse are always sites for voter registration.

1. One sample ballot is mailed to each household containing at least one registered voter before every election.
2. Each newly registered voter in Leon County is mailed a pamphlet on how to vote properly before every election.
3. Absentee ballot requirements and request forms are available, by mail, phone or in-person.
4. The City of Tallahassee permitted our office to print and insert a voting information pamphlet to all their utility customers within Leon County.
5. Bookstores and campus credit unions distributed bookmarks to its customers.

Voter education will continue to be the central element of our effort to ensure that every registered citizen will be provided the information necessary to access their most fundamental civil right - the right to vote. We hope that this brief description of the activities we perform in Leon County will provide others with the motivation and information to develop voter education activities in their own jurisdictions, and mindful of Ben Franklin's admonition, keep our own Republic alive.

Tim Storey or Jennie Drage (303) 364-7700
or Susan Frederick (202) 624-3566