COLTS NECK – As a part of their senior project, six Law & Public Service Learning Center students decided to host a Young Voter Registration Breakfast for their peers on May 24.
The group invited Monmouth County Freeholder Serena DiMaso and County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon to speak to seniors in the Law & Public Service Learning Center during the breakfast. DiMaso spoke about the county government and the roles of a freeholder. Hanlon explained the voter registration process to the group.
Many of the seniors who are already 18 said they had not registered yet and were eager to fill out the registration form. Hanlon also told the students about a new law which allows them to complete the registration process at the age of 17. If a person were to turn 18 a few days before an election, they previously would not be registered in time to vote in that election. Under the new law, if the registration is completed at age 17, the individual would be registered and eligible to vote as soon as they turn 18.
The Colts Neck High School seniors who organized the breakfast were Geoff Bartner, Dominic Conoshenti, Devin Clementi, Emma Tucker, Josh Korn and Chris Meehan.
The Law and Public Service Learning Center at Colts Neck High School is a rigorous program geared toward highly motivated students with demonstrated interests and abilities in history, politics, government, law, volunteerism and leadership. The program started in 2003 and currently has 122 students enrolled. In order to be accepted into the program, applicants must take an entrance exam and complete an essay, as well as having exemplary grades. Peter Krais, supervisor of the Social Studies, Law & Public Service Learning Center, estimates that roughly one- third to one-half of their students go into some sort of pre-law/public policy/political science type of college major.
