Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp and State School Superintendent John Barge are proud to announce that the 2012 Georgia Civics Day Initaitive began Monday, October 1, 2012. The purpose of Georgia Civics Day is to make students aware of their civic duties and the importance of voting. The 2012 Georgia Civics Day website will be accessible from October 4th through October 31st and can be found at: http://www.sos.ga.gov/ivote.
 
Please note that an individual who is at least 17 1/2 years of age may register to vote. To vote in the General Election, however, students must be at least 18 years old by November 6, 2012. We urge you to encourage eligible students to register to vote prior to the October 9, 2012, voter registration deadline. For the students’ convenience, online voter registration applications can be accessed while taking the Georgia Civics Day Quiz. Applications can also be independently obtained through the “Register to Vote” link on the iVote website above. Additionally, you may consider inviting local elected officials to your school to speak as part of your Georgia Civics Day program.

In addition to the many resources available on the Civics Day website, we also encourage you to consider inviting a local elected official to your school to speak about the importance of elections and civics. As educators, you can make a dramatic, long-term impact on your students’ understanding of their civic duties by educating them on the importance of voting; increasing their awareness and appreciation for the unique rights and freedoms U.S. citizens enjoy; and increasing their knowledge of U.S. history and our form of government.

Thank you for your continued support of Georgia Civics Day. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding Georgia Civics Day programming, please contact Kevin Reaves in the Secretary of State’s Office at 404-463-3826 or kreaves@sos.ga.gov.