Chicago high school holds voter drive National Teen Voters Registration Day

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There is a push to get young people involved in politics on Teen Voter Registration Day Wednesday.

There's a teen voter registration drive here in Chicago.

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Some Chicago teens are taking the first steps to voice their vote as a part of Wednesday's National Teen Voter Registration Day. A local drive began Wednesday morning at Corliss High School.

These high school students want their voices heard as they came out to register to vote.

"I think it's important because it allows us young adults in our community to actually get involved in the political side," high school student Nahumy Iniguez said.

Corliss High School on the city's South Side is hosting the effort to encourage teenagers to participate in the democratic process.

"And the reason I did, this is because I feel if no one else feels I feel you all deserve it," Letina Brady Pettis of Get Out The Vote For Teens said.

"It is important because we want our students to be a part of the process," Corliss High School principal Evajamania Brown said. "We want them to have their civic engagement and We want them to be productive citizens.

Jonathan Gonzalez turns 18 years old in August and is more than ready to cast his ballot. The issue of immigration is especially important the upperclassman.

"My dad is an immigrant family that I have is immigrant and I really seen videos where the immigration like not everybody wants to be part of the immigration," he said.

In Illinois, 16-year-olds can pre-register, and 17-year-olds can vote in the 2026 primary if they turn 18 by the general election.

Supporters are also backing The Jesse Jackson Senior Young Voter Empowerment Law. It would require all Illinois high schools to offer nonpartisan voter registration.

"Having work with Reverend Jackson for over 50 years and understanding his plea to get a voter registration card and a diploma in the other we gotta do something about this to ensure that every child has the right to vote," Dr. Jo An Collins of the Young Voter Empowerment Coalition.

Organizers of the event are challenging everyone in the community to support getting young people to vote.

"It shows me that I have a choice, and I can participate an important decisions for the country," high school student Lindsey Dory said.

The high school is planning for teen voter registration drives. In the mean time, they're encouraging teens to get involved in the process by helping other teens register to vote and by also learning about the process.