High school students head to the polls -- not as voters, but as volunteers
Amy Cohen was a bit nervous after the doors opened Tuesday at the Studio City church where she was volunteering for the first time as a poll worker. She is 18, a first-time voter, and the long line of people waiting to exercise their right to vote included her mother and brother. Plus, her father was working at the poll too.
"I was afraid I was going to do something wrong and get into trouble, but I'm doing good so far," Cohen said during a brief respite from greeting people and checking off names in the thick book of registered voters.
In Tuesday's historic election in which the votes of young people were expected to be pivotal, thousands of Los Angeles County high school students mostly tasted their first civic duty as poll workers -- not as voters.
In 2000, 617 students participated in the student volunteer program. This year more than 4,200 worked Los Angeles County polls, with more than 3,100 others helping to inspect ballots after the polls closed. Students can earn extra credit and are paid $80 for their labor (plus an extra $20 if they attended a training session).
The county's volunteer program began in 1998, and the 2000 election was the first presidential contest in which high school students could participate. To volunteer, students must be 16, a U.S. citizen, have at least a 2.5 grade point average and must have permission from parents and their school.
The students got a first-hand look at democracy in action and gained experience that might make an impression on a college application. But they have also become an essential part of the county's 25,000-strong election day army of workers.
"The good thing about students is they're in a learning mode," said Marcia Ventura, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder, adding that they are more likely to show up, are more tech savvy and many are bilingual. "For veteran poll workers they bring an enthusiasm to the process, and for elderly workers they can help set up tables and equipment. Hopefully, they come out with a better understanding of the election process."
Students from 216 schools, both public and private, participated in Tuesday's election, officials said. Thirteen seniors from Pacific Hills School, a private campus in West Hollywood, volunteered this year.
Alex Osborne, 17, a Pacific Hills senior, wanted to see what went on behind the scenes of an election.
