|
Missouri Youth
Participant Program
 
The Missouri Youth Program is a program provided by
state statute RsMO 115.104 that allows high school students to work at
the polls as Missouri Youth Election Participants during elections. The
students work along side the election judges and are active
participants, although, not reimbursed. The program serves both the
student and the county in many ways. It provides a learning experience
for students that will make them better, more informed voters. It will
also encourage involvement in the election process as adults, and
provides a trained pool of voters to work at the polling places in the
future. The student can also list this involvement on their resume
to show community commitment and service beyond self. In addition, there
is an annual scholarship awarded under the Johnson County Election
Authority Scholarship Program to a graduating Johnson County high school
student in recognition of their participation in local government and
elections.
The
requirements for Missouri Youth Participants are:
1.
Full time student at least fifteen years of age but less than
eighteen
2.
Appropriate academic ability and demeanor
3.
Be a person of good repute who can speak, read and write the
English language; and
4.
Not be related within the second degree of consanguinity to any
person whose name appears on the
ballot,
except that no participant shall be disqualified if related within such
degree to an unopposed
candidate.
The Missouri Youth Participant must
agree to the following:
1.
To attend a course of instruction on the electoral process *
2.
Abide by the state statute and the instructions of the County
Election Authority and/or their designee
3.
Be present at their designated polling place for the duration of
the voting period, 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
unless
otherwise excused
* Election judges and Missouri Youth Participants
are required to attend training on the election process. The training
is normally held the week before the election and lasts approximately 2
hours.
On election day the participants are required to
sign and take an oath reading: I solemnly swear or affirm that I will
impartially discharge the duties of a Missouri youth election
participant by following to the best of my ability the instructions of
any election judge, election authority, or teacher of my school. I also
swear or affirm that I will not disclose how any voter has voted unless
I am told to do so by an election judge, election authority, or a court
of law in a proper judicial proceeding. I also swear or affirm that I
will make no statement nor give any information of any kind tending in
any way to show the state of the count of votes prior to the close of
the polls on election day, nor will I make any statement during the
conduct of my duties which tends to show my preferences for any issue or
candidate involved in the election.
Johnson County first implemented this program in
1996. Since 1996, there have been over 2000 students participating as
Missouri Youth.
If you would like to be involved in the election
process as a Missouri Youth Participant, contact your high school
History/Government instructor to inform them of your interest in working
as a MO Youth. In order for the students to be used at the
election, an instructor or administrator at the school they attend must
complete a Missouri Youth Election Participant Agreement form.
Click Here for a list of contacts for your school. Please
contact the County Clerk’s Office at 660-747-6161 if you are interested
in obtaining an agreement form.
Recipients of the Johnson County Election Authority
Scholarship Program (pictured below).
|
