Girls Scouts have a long history of advocating for civic action and change in their communities, and we’re ready to take action again in 2020! As we mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, a milestone moment for US voting rights that removed the gender restriction (although it must be noted that state and local voting eligibility requirements still excluded millions of people from voting for decades after its passage), Girl Scouts is launching a national Promote the Vote initiative to encourage Girl Scout troops to find ways to join in this important democratic process.

What can our girls, many who are too young to vote, do?

We can all take an active role in helping citizens exercise their right to vote. As one of our National Service Projects, Girl Scouts of the USA has some great tips and resources to help you Promote the Vote in your communities.

Here’s how your Girl Scout troop can promote the vote:

Discuss the importance of voting.

Lead your girls in a conversation (PDF) about why voting is essential, the power they have to increase access to the vote, how they can encourage others to vote, even if they are too young to vote themselves. (Hint: your troop could earn one of our new Democracy badges in the process!)

Make a plan and set a goal.

With your girls, decide which action(s) you’ll take to encourage people to register to vote and make a plan to vote, and how many people you’ll reach out to. There are so many ways your girls can share key information (PDF) and get the word out! Senior and Ambassador troops can register (or pre-register) to vote and make plans to cast their ballots together!

Share your story on social media.

Research shows that if you persuade one person to vote, they’ll likely influence at least one additional friend or family member to vote too! If you use social to educate and inspire others to vote, be sure to tag us using @girlscouts and @girlscoutswoh.

Complete the survey.

Complete our survey so your troop’s impact can be counted in our national service projects.

Encourage ongoing engagement.

Encourage your girls’ ongoing civic engagement through working to earn our new Democracy badges and using GSUSA’s suffrage toolkit!

You can also download more detailed instructions at the links below:

• Instructions for troop leaders (PDF)
• Instructions to share with girls (PDF)

What resources does Girl Scouts of Western Ohio have on this topic? Check out our Suffrage Centennial page for ways to help your girls learn more about this important (and complicated) milestone, like our GSWO Suffrage Centennial Patch Program and links to local collections and podcasts. Then be sure to scroll our Activities List for workshops and events our council is hosting related to voting or civics.