Marshall High School Students Push Bill in Congress to Boost Youth Voter Registration
Marshall High School students are lobbying Congress to pass legislation they helped draft designating secondary schools as voter registration agencies, just months ahead of this year’s presidential election.
Samad Quraishi, a junior at Marshall now serving as the Centre for Voters Initiative & Action’s executive director, says the effort is necessary because studies show only half of eligible youth voted in the 2020 election. Samad and a group of fellow Marshall juniors have met with more than 250 congressional offices, as well as the White House’s counsel to the vice president about their legislation, which is sponsored by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) and Senator Laphonza Butler (D-Calif).
“The issue of civic education for kids is not a partisan one, everyone can benefit from getting more kids to vote in their districts,” Samad said. “We try not to think in a Democratic or Republican framework. So many young people don’t vote because they think their vote doesn’t matter. But we are also heavily impacted by [concerns such as] inflation: the price of gas, the price of milk. There are systems to help us, but we have to engage.”
The High School Voter Empowerment Act — which was introduced in both chambers of Congress after the work of FCPS students and others across the nation — may receive a vote by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee or House Administration Committee as early as June, the students say. They kept detailed spreadsheets on their meetings with lawmakers and their staffs, reminding themselves of questions they were asked to follow up on and more.
Junior Nia Gouvis says the group would first meet at Samad’s house to practice their approach to different congressional offices.
“My first meeting I was terrified,” Nia said. “I had never spoken to anyone so important before. After a few, I learned how to appeal to what would benefit the individual congressman. I had no idea I could register to vote at 16. That’s what we’re trying to pass on to other youth.”
Their lobbying work even took them to the White House.
“Meeting with the vice president’s team is one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to do,” said Vedansh Garg, also a Marshall junior and an assistant director at the Centre for Voters Initiative & Action. “We were where the business happens, in the ceremonial meeting room. We met staff members. It was so great. This all happened the day of the PSAT — we took that test and then went straight downtown for this.”
Getting to Capitol Hill
The students took advantage of an FCPS policy allowing students to miss school for one day for civic engagement. The Marshall group went to Capitol Hill, met lawmakers, and held a press conference.
“Sometimes we had meetings right after school let out,” said junior Julia Elliot Ortega. “I’d be in sweatpants and a hoodie at school, the bell would ring and I’d change into a business suit for a 4 p.m. meeting on Capitol Hill. No one treated us like teenagers, they treated us like equals and spoke to us that way.”
The students said they first met in a Young Democrats Club at Marshall High School, and received support from World History Teacher Amanda Schall as well as Geography Teacher Lucas Kline, who previously worked on political campaigns and as a lawyer.
“Without Ms. Schall we wouldn’t have been brought together as we are today. She gave us the fundamental understanding of government and history that allowed us to go down this road,” Samad said. “Mr. Kline has real-world experience in this area and has been available for advice and guidance.”
Living in the Washington area has made their work easier, Marshall junior Eleanor Liang says.
“There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work, lots of time going to D.C. after school to meet with congressional offices, talk to their staff, increase support for bills. Voting rights impact everybody in the nation, and sadly, usually youth are not a huge part of it,” she said. “The big lesson I get is that it is important for every person to have a vote. Young people should have a voice in whatever their passion is — gun rights, immigration, whatever it is. The real way to address concerns is by voting.”