Education

Kamala Harris Says College Students ‘Will Now Get Paid’ With Taxpayer Funds To Register Voters Ahead Of 2024

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Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that college students would be able to collect federally-funded work study for registering voters.

Harris’s announcement of the new policy was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The federal work-study program is intended to allow students to earn money for day-to-day expenses while at college, according to the Department of Education.

WATCH:

Kamala Harris announces the Biden administration will “now allow students to get paid through federal work study to register people” to vote in an effort to “activate them” pic.twitter.com/L9H92sCheq

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 27, 2024

“We have been doing work to promote voter participation for students,” Harris said. “For example, we have under the Federal Work-Study program now allow students to get paid through Federal Work-Study to register people and to be non-partisan poll workers. As we know, this is important for a number of reasons. One, to engage our young leaders in this process and activate them in terms of their ability to strengthen our communities.”

The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it would also have federal agencies promote voter registration, including posting signage promoting Vote.gov at 6,000 Social Security Administration (SSA) offices, having the Department of Health and Human Services emailing voter registration information to people who acquire heath insurance through the Affordable Care Act and placing Vote.gov signage at National Park entrances and visitor centers, Axios reported. The Biden administration also plans to push voter registration on three dates: The Juneteeth federal holiday, the Aug. 6 anniversary of the passage of the Voting Rights Act and National Voter Registration Day, which falls on Sept. 24, according to Axios.

Biden won the 2020 election in part due to support from young voters, receiving 60% support from voters ages 18-29, according to CNN’s exit poll. Biden had 65% support from voters ages 18-24, that same poll reported.

President Joe Biden faces a difficult reelection campaign, as former President Donald Trump currently leads him by 2.1% in the RealClearPolitics average of general election polls for a head-to-head matchup. Trump’s lead grows to 3% when Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent candidates Cornel West and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are included.