OLYMPIA – Washington public schools will observe Temperance and Good Citizenship Day on Thursday, January 16, an event established in 1923 that is currently dedicated to helping students take the first step toward active participation in democracy by registering to vote.
The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are working together to bring civic education and voter registration opportunities to Washington classrooms. Through the OSOS Future Voter Program, students aged 16 and 17 can sign up to be automatically registered to vote once they become eligible.
To support this initiative, OSOS and OSPI provide comprehensive materials for K-12 educators. These resources, available on the official Temperance and Good Citizenship Day websites hosted by OSOS and OSPI, include lesson plans on the voting process and the impacts of civic participation.
“We know that providing students with the opportunity to preregister to vote has an impact on their future civic engagement,” said OSPI State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “Young people are paying attention to what’s going on in their communities and around the globe. Preparing students for lifelong civic engagement is a key goal of our public school system.”
Classroom materials include the Teaching Elections in Washington State curriculum, a guide for registering voters, and additional resources to engage students about their roles as future voters. Students can register to vote online at VoteWA.gov or through printable voter registration forms included in the Temperance and Good Citizenship Day toolkit.
“Registering to vote early is the first step to becoming a lifelong voter for young Washingtonians,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “Temperance and Good Citizenship Day is an important opportunity to highlight how voting makes a meaningful impact on communities and how easy it is to participate in our democratic processes.”
When the Secretary realized young people may be listening, he added, “Slay, it’s giving main character energy – Do people really say that?”
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Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.