Governor Murphy, other officials urge teens to register to vote in school board election in Newark
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy visited a high school in Newark to encourage 16- and 17-year-olds to register to vote in their upcoming school board election.
Governor Murphy was joined by Lt. Governor Way, rapper A Boogie Wit DA Hoodie, First Lady Tammy Murphy, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver, and the Newark Schools Superintendent Roger Roger León on Tuesday morning at the Newark School of Data Science & Information Technology.
"These kids are going to shape the future so supporting them is really important to me," said Award-Winning Artist and Rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. "If we set them up right, they'll shape a world we all can be proud of."
The 150 juniors and seniors that officials met with were provided voter registration information in the non-partisan event.
Teens at the event were taking their new responsibility seriously.
"This is a good practice of why we should voice our opinion to others," said Lynnette Kontoh, a senior.
"The people who are elected are making decisions so we should have a say in it," said Bryan Oko, a junior.
"Newark has set a national standard for youth voting rights by allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in their local school board elections," said Governor Murphy. "Providing young people a say in issues that directly impact their lives is not only the right thing to do but also helps make voting into a lifelong habit. At a time when our democracy is threatened, we must do everything we can to empower the next generation by instilling in them the value of civic engagement."
"Ensuring that students have a voice in the decisions that shape their education is a monumental step forward in fostering civic engagement," said Newark Board of Education Superintendent Roger León. "Newark Public Schools is proud to stand at the forefront of this historic movement, empowering our 16- and 17-year-old students to participate in local school board elections."
The deadline to register to vote in the April election for the Newark Board of Education is March 25.
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