Students take the poll position

Who says democracy is only for the 18-and-older crowd? And who says teenagers are a cynical bunch?

More than 2,500 Los Angeles County teenagers are expected to dip their toes into the waters of political awareness on June 8 by volunteering at polling places for the California primary elections. The county’s popular Student Poll Worker Program is open to public and private school students who are at least 16, are U.S. citizens, have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and have parental and teacher consent.

But wait, there’s more.

Student volunteers will receive a stipend of up to $105 after completing a two-hour training session and their election-day duties. The stipend can also be exchanged for school community service credit. According to teacher coordinators, the money is well spent.

“When I tell them they can earn $100, that’s a lot of money,” says Stan Bartosiak, a social studies teacher at Glendale High School who has been a local coordinator for the program for the past four years.

“But once they’ve done it, it’s such an overwhelming civic experience. Their perceptions change, no doubt about it. They get to work as adults in a situation that’s rarely available to them,” Bartosiak says, adding: “If we can get life-long voters, 100 bucks per kid is a great investment,”

Bartosiak, who has taught at Glendale High for two decades, is so committed to making sure his students become voters that he holds 18th birthday celebrations for them in class and registers them to vote on the spot.

Blanca Casarrubias, countywide outreach manager for Student Poll Worker Program, said she had 37,500 total student volunteers in the November, 2008, elections and expects more than 3,000 in November, 2010. Students are placed in polling sites within their neighborhoods and work from 6:00 a.m. until approximately 9:30 p.m.

Casarrubias says there are unique benefits for bringing students on board. Many, she said, are bilingual, technologically savvy and sometimes more dependable than adults because they have made the commitment through teachers and parents. And, Casarrubias noted, they can carry heavy election supplies.

Registration must be completed via the school’s designated teacher coordinator and be completed by April 9. Details about registration are available here.

Posted 4/06/10