Beaufort County Board highlights voter-registration lessons and mock elections for students

The Beaufort County Board of Voter Registration and Elections reported on partnerships with schools and civic organizations to increase voter registration and turnout by focusing outreach on young people.

Board representatives described work with middle schools and Robert Smalls International Academy where students used an enlarged voter registration application, completed registration exercises and used four voting machines in a classroom to vote for student government officers. "The kids were ecstatic about doing this because they realized at that moment how important it was," a board representative said.

A student, Nathan T, described running for student council president and said the mock election "felt real," noting the experience helped him understand what voting is like. School staff said students made campaign posters and recorded campaign ads that aired on the school's morning TV show, and the board received poll reports and presented results as graphics.

The board also described outreach to assisted-living and nursing homes to register older voters and a program to train 16- and 17-year-olds as poll managers during general elections. Officials said the goal is to instill voting habits early so that students take the act of voting seriously when they turn 18.

School counselors, teachers and election-board staff characterized the project as a practical civic-education exercise and said they plan to continue similar programs and partnerships to build long-term engagement.