"Happy Birthday Plan" to Register Voters

By Charleta B. Tavares

The "Happy Birthday Plan" would register new voters by sending out a birthday card to all Ohioans turning 18 with instructions how to register to vote.

August 22, 1998

State Representative Charleta Tavares, the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State, unveiled an innovative plan to register new voters today at the Girls and Boys Club of Youngstown. The "Happy Birthday Plan" would register new voters by sending out a birthday card to all Ohioans turning 18 with instructions how to register to vote.

"As Secretary of State, I would have the direct responsibility of managing the elections process. We cannot have an elections process without registered voters. One of the main reasons why young people do not vote is because they forgot to register, or just do not know how," said Representative Tavares.

The plan is already in place in Arizona and has been extremely successful.

"I think it is a great idea. The whole elections process is very intimidating. I am not sure where to go and what I have to do to register. This plan will not allow me to make excuses," said Rashawn Kemp, 17, a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School in Youngstown.

"People who are between the ages of 18 and 24 tend not to vote. They have not been compelled to get involved in the elections process. It is largely up to the Secretary of State's office to make sure that we stop that trend," said Representative Tavares.

In Ohio. there are over 7 million registered voters. It is anticipated that only 50 percent of those registered voters will vote in the 1998 general election. During a primary, those numbers cut in half.

"It does not appear that this administration has been proactive about registering new voters. In other countries like Ireland and South Africa, voter turnout is at 100 percent. This is a public education process and I plan to be zealous in my efforts to get people to the polls. The "Happy Birthday Plan" is an efficient and fairly inexpensive way to start," continued Representative Tavares.