Volunteer offers help with election registration

The mother of a Blair graduate volunteered during the week of Feb. 2 to help students register for the presidential primary election, which will be held on March 2. She registered a total of 145 students and re-registered two staff members.

Tina Slater was alarmed that students were under the impression that they had to be 18 to vote in the primaries, because people who turn 18 on or before Nov. 2 can vote in both the primary and general elections. Students, Slater explained, were also unaware that Montgomery County would get more attention from political candidates if more people registered.

Although Slater supported Wesley Clark's election party, she did not sway the voters toward any candidate. She did, however, entice Blazers with homemade cookies and "I Registered to Vote" pins for those who did register.

Prior to the registration for the primaries, Slater had to attend voter registration training to become a qualified registration distributor. She then went to the Board of Education to get the idea of coming to Blair approved. After she got permission from the administrators, Slater obtained a list of the students qualified to register from ESOL teacher Joseph Bellino. She sorted the names into fifth period teachers and sent a letter to each teacher with registration forms.

Although she left after the Feb. 10 primary registration deadline, Slater has considered coming back later in the year when the SGA starts to sign students up for the general election. After students vote for the SMOB candidate in late October there will be tables of SGA representatives handing out registration forms for the general election.

For more information email Slater at tslater@erols.com