DC’s Juvenile Justice Agency will help agency youth and members of the community register to vote.
(WASHINGTON, DC) – On Tuesday, September 22, at 1:00 p.m., the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) will kick off the agency’s first #YourVoteMatters voter registration event on National Voter Registration Day, building on the agency’s voter registration efforts throughout the summer.
DYRS Director Clinton Lacey will deliver welcoming remarks at the voter registration event, which is open to the public and will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Staff from the Mayor’s Office of Returning Citizens Affairs (MORCA), the DC Board of Elections (DCBOE) and the DYRS Credible Messengers will also be on hand to answer questions.
DYRS staff will engage young people committed to DYRS who are age 18 and older to come register to vote. If youth are already registered, agency staff are encouraging them to bring a friend to get registered. Registered voters will receive t-shirts as well as DCBOE swag and information. The agency will also host virtual sessions educating agency youth on voting and voting rights.
Youth who are eligible to vote at the New Beginnings Youth Development Center (NBYDC), the agency’s long-term residential treatment facility, and at the Youth Services Center (YSC), the agency’s short-term detention facility, are also registering to vote. The goal is to educate and register as many eligible young people as possible before Election Day.
Following the event, DYRS staff and Credible Messengers will continue to educate youth about voting and will help them locate their voting locations should they choose to vote in person. Youth are also producing videos highlighting why voting is important to them.
The agency will require masks upon entry and will observe proper social distancing protocols. There will also be a sanitation station placed in every voter registration area.
To learn more about the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS), visit https://dyrs.dc.gov.
Who:
- DYRS Director Clinton Lacey will deliver opening remarks at 1 pm.
- Lamont Carey, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Returning Citizens Affairs (MORCA) will be in attendance.
- There will also be pre-selected and prepped youth available to speak to press.
When: Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
Where: The DYRS 450 Achievement Center, located at 450 H Street NW.
*The closest Metro station is Gallery Place.*
Press interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP to [email protected].
