PROVIDENCE, RI -- Secretary of State Ralph Mollis will mark the 90th anniversary of women winning the right to vote in Rhode Island by staging a voter registration drive at Exeter-West Greenwich High School today.
Mollis will tell an auditorium full of students about the importance of registering to vote. He will display the original “Act Extending the Right to Vote to Women Citizens”, which was signed into law April 22, 1920; and Hillary Clinton’s signed Declaration of Candidacy, which officially entered her in Rhode Island’s 2008 presidential primary.
“It is important to preserve and discuss the history of women’s struggle for equality. This future generation of citizens must know our past in order to have the insight they will need to be tomorrow’s leaders of our state and our country,” Mollis said.
With nearly 9 out of 10 eligible Rhode Islanders already registered to vote, the stop at EWGHS is part of a push to get younger voters to the polls. Mollis plans to visit every Rhode Island high school and college leading up to the 2010 elections.
In order to register, students must be age 18 by Nov. 2, residents of Rhode Island and U.S. citizens. The stop is a partnership with the state Board of Elections, school administrators and local elections official.
"I am grateful to our partners for their commitment to this important initiative. Our success will pay dividends for decades to come as these new voters cast ballots election after election,” said Mollis.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 59 percent of eligible 18-to-24-year-olds were registered to vote on Election Day 2008 and just 49 percent actually voted.
In 1920, the U.S. Congress passed an amendment giving women the right to vote. After passage by Congress, amendments to the Constitution must be ratified by two-thirds of the states before taking effect. Rhode Island ratified the amendment on Jan. 7, 1920.
The General Assembly enacted its own version – “An Act Extending the Right to Vote to Women Citizens” – which was signed into law April 22, 1920.
“I think many students will be surprised to learn it was not so long ago that women were not allowed to vote. I hope exposure to documents like this will inspire students to learn more and aspire to be better citizens,” said Mollis.
The teenagers will have the opportunity to see both documents up close. Some may even pose for photos with the historic papers.
The Act Extending the Right to Vote to Women Citizens is among thousands of historic items preserved in the Secretary of State’s Archives. Located at 337 Westminster St., in downtown Providence, the State Archives is open to the public weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier for Rhode Islanders to vote, helping businesses grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about the programs and services the Secretary of State offers Rhode Islanders, visit www.sec.state.ri.us.