The 2026 San Luis Obispo County High School Voter Registration Competition kicks off this week as part of a statewide effort to encourage students to register to vote. This is the second year the county has held this competition.
Schools will have five weeks to conduct voter pre-registration/registration activities. The competition will wrap up at the end of the regular registration period for the upcoming general election on Oct. 19.
The winning school will be determined by confirming registrations collected during the five-week period and comparing them with the number of students age 16 and older enrolled at the school. This approach ensures larger schools do not have an advantage.
In California, students 16 and 17 years old can pre-register to vote, and their registration will automatically become active on their 18th birthday.
In 2024, Morro Bay High School took home the trophy. This year's winner will receive the trophy in October with the "2026 Winner" engraved on it.
Students everywhere are encouraged to present voter registration projects to encourage their peers to register to vote. Some students have already started.
On Monday, Central Coast New Tech High School student ambassador Daniel Rogness managed a table to share information he learned through his participation in the SLO County's Student Election Ambassador Program. Additionally, a group of student ambassadors at Nipomo High School is already planning a series of in-class presentations and activities that begin next week.
The League of Women Voters is also leading presentations about voting and registration. Anyone interested in scheduling a presentation can contact the Elections Office at electionsoutreach@co.slo.ca.us
More information about the registration competition is available in a short video here.
To access California’s online registration portal, go to RegisterToVote.ca.gov.
