Bill boosting student volunteers at polls rolls on in Senate

Legislation that would open the door for civic-minded students to participate in the Democratic process is proceeding through Senate committees.

The Senate Education PreK-12 Committee is giving good marks to SB 564. The proposal from Jacksonville Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough would hold that the ban on privately funded election-related expenses would not prohibit students who are registered or preregistered to vote from voluntarily helping poll workers in exchange for community service hours that apply to Bright Futures scholarships.

Students can preregister on their 16th birthday.

The bill would take effect July 1, meaning that eligible students could begin participating in the process during the August Primaries this year if it becomes law.

An amendment was adopted at this committee stop clarifying how the community service hours would be applied to high school graduation or post-graduate financial aid.

Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland spoke on behalf of the bill, as he has previously in the process. He explained how he wished his grandson, currently in high school, could volunteer and “learn about elections” to get community service hours.

The bill would create a pathway for students to work early voting, and potentially would create a pipeline for young poll workers, Holland added.

“A lot of times when they volunteer to be a paid poll worker, they may only do it once, and then they go off to college, or something of that nature. We look for those poll workers who continue to come back. It helps in that institutional knowledge. So this allows them to gather community service hours, and if they want to continue, then in the future, they can also get paid as a paid poll worker.”

Jasmine Burney-Clark of left-leaning Equal Ground said the bill allows “young Floridians to learn firsthand how democracy works.”

The Florida Parent Teacher Association, Secure Democracy USA, Orange County Public Schools, Common Cause, and a number of citizens also showed up to support the legislation.

HB 461, sponsored by Rep. Kiyan Michael, is the companion bill in the House.