First Vote

First Vote is a project of the League of Women Voters of Saratoga County that reaches out to graduating high school seniors in Saratoga County to provide them with information about voting. Voting is a complex challenge for new voters, but whether the students remain in the county or attend colleges outside the area, the League provides straightforward information on voting and voter registration.

When asked, the League provides each senior with copies of

• Your Right to Vote in New York State: College Students (a flier prepared by the League of Women Voters of New York State and the New York State Bar Association),
• First Vote: A Guide for New Voters in New York State (an 8-page pamphlet, revised in 2007, prepared by the League of Women Voters of New York State), and
• Voter registration forms from the Saratoga County Board of Elections.

There is no charge for these materials. State Farm generously underwrites the costs of this program. The League sends letters to the heads of schools in the county, asking them to pass along the letter and sample pamphlet and flier to teachers in their social studies department. High school social studies teachers request and distribute materials provided by the League.

The goal of First Vote is to motivate young people to engage in their rights and responsibilities as voters, and to provide them with the information they need to do so. In 2009, approximately 2,000 students in ten schools received League materials.

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