More than 126,000 Georgians cast ballots on Oct. 12, breaking a record for the first day of early voting in the state, according to the secretary of state’s office. This display of voter enthusiasm isn’t just evident by hours-long waits at the polls. Atlanta Public Schools students are also doing their part to increase voter turnout—registering 576 new student voters in less than two weeks via its APS Good Trouble Voter Campaign!
A partnership between APS and When We All Vote, the APS Good Trouble Voter Campaign aims to educate and inspire APS students and families about the importance of voting and honors the late Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, who once said, “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
Board Chair Jason Esteves and APS Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring officially launched the APS Good Trouble Voter Campaign on National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 22. APS student ambassadors, led by the Office of Social Studies, facilitated the voter registration drive through Oct. 5, garnering 576 newly registered APS student voters.
| School | New Student Registrations | Percentage of Eligible Students Registered between 9/25-10/5/2020 |
| North Atlanta HS | 74 | 44% |
| Booker T. Washington HS | 65 | 59% |
| South Atlanta HS | 52 | 53% |
| Carver Early College | 36 | 82% |
| Benjamin E. Mays HS | 36 | 29% |
| Grady HS | 30 | 34% |
| Douglass HS | 20 | 17% |
| Therrell HS | 18 | 25% |
| Maynard Jackson HS | 13 | 12% |
| CSKYWLA | 9 | 64% |
| B.E.S.T. Academy | 6 | 25% |
| Phoenix Academy | 20 | Not available |
| Forrest Hill Academy | 20 | Not available |
North Atlanta High School registered the most eligible student voters (74), followed by Booker T. Washington High School (65), and South Atlanta High School (52). Carver Early College registered the highest percentage of eligible student voters (84%), followed by Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (64%).
“The data only reflects a fraction of the feat,” said Janean Lewis, APS Social Studies coordinator and project developer for the APS Good Trouble Campaign. “For example, Douglass High School Assistant Principal Sheri McEachern and staff conducted neighborhood visits to register students manually. This noteworthy effort could not be quantified because many students could not register online due to lack of state issued ID. Needless to say, I am extremely proud of the progress our students and staff made in less than two weeks. Registering more than 500 new voters during a pandemic is unprecedented and extraordinary.”
The APS Good Trouble Voter Campaign will continue through Election Day on Nov. 3. Early voting runs Oct.12-30 in Georgia.
Resources:
- For personal voter information (registration status, mail-in application status, poll locations, district, etc.), visit: https://www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
- For Fulton County Resources (voter guides, sample ballots, early voting info, candidate information, poll worker info. etc.), visit: https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/services/voting-and-elections
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