YouthVote is a civic engagement initiative that strives to make elections and governance relevant and accountable to young people. The program consists of a mock election and student survey. Together, students simultaneously learn about the electoral process while providing direct input into current issues.
Mock Elections
YouthVote holds mock elections to educate students on elections and civic participation while also providing students (most of who are under 18 years of age) a chance to weigh in on elections. Students are provided with a youth-friendly voter information handbook. In addition, YouthVote occasionally sponsors candidate forums where students can directly address the candidates. The results of the mock election are shared with the media weeks before the actual elections are held, providing voters a chance to hear students' preferences before casting their own vote.
For more information about YouthVote, please contact Prishni Murillo at 415-934-4840 or pmurillo@dcyf.org.
Student Survey
The YouthVote Student Survey is administered once each semester to SFUSD High School students, as well as in the Spring to middle school students. The survey, designed with the input of high school students and other youth leaders, is intended to provide students with an opportunity to comment on current and existing polices and issues. Various government agencies, community organizations and school sites use this data to inform their work.
Starting with the results of the Fall 2011 Student Survey, results will be posted with an online, interactive interface. Results from past surveys also exist in both raw data and issue reports. Click on the following links to download reports from previous YouthVote surveys.