TYLA Project

How You Can Rock the Vote
By:  Raymond J. Baeza

As young lawyers, we are all very aware that 2016 is a presidential election year, and in deciding to exercise our right to vote, we acknowledge the historical significance of this right—a right that was denied to many.

Frankly, when I was a high school senior, I didn't fully understand, and therefore could not appreciate, the struggle many Americans endured to secure their right to vote and the continued struggle to actually exercise that right. Fortunately, TYLA believes that we have a duty to educate future generations about the right to vote to encourage these generations to understand the historical developments and to exercise one of the most important rights we have. TYLA's non-partisan Vote America project highlights the civil rights era, the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-sixth Amendments to the United States Constitution.

The El Paso Young Lawyers Association quickly decided to take the Vote America project to local high school students in El Paso. On August 26, 2016, Leonardo Maldonado, Linda Rivas, Melissa Baeza, and I presented the Vote America project to juniors and seniors at Montwood High School. The student activities coordinator, Daniela Gonzalez, and a Montwood High School teacher, Glen Nathan, coordinated the schedule to allow the presentations to take place in the school's theater during the eight different periods. Ultimately, the El Paso Young Lawyers Association presented the Vote America project to over 400 students.

We played the video that described some of the injustices Americans faced to secure the right to vote for all. Many students voiced their surprise at seeing the original images and hearing the stories of many Americans who fought for equality and democracy. While most students were aware of the injustices, the video allowed them a different perspective. After the video presentation, we had a 10- to 15-minute discussion. We asked the students questions concerning the topics covered in the video and also discussed the current presidential race. The students realized that even though they may not be eligible to vote this November, they could still become informed about the candidates and encourage their parents, relatives, and friends to vote.

TYLA made it extremely easy to present this very important project. As soon as I made arrangements to present the project, I received general instructions, the 30-minute video, and sample questions for this presentation. Sample letters to schools are also available. All materials were prepared by TYLA except for the voter registration guides, which can also be provided. If you are interested or have any questions about how to present this project yourself or through your own local organization, feel free to contact me.

I would like to thank EPYLA members Leonardo Maldonado, Linda Rivas, and Melissa Baeza for their help in presenting this project. I would also like to encourage young lawyers to help us present this project to as many students as possible before October 11, 2016, the deadline to register to vote, and before the November election.