Once again we have the opportunity to teach citizens, especially students, about our democratic process of voting. In 1997, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation creating "Civics Day" in Georgia's schools. Since then, Civics Day has been expanded to include "Civics Week," a weeklong celebration, which will be held this year from October 28th -November 1, 2002. During this week, teachers and students are encouraged to participate in activities designed to remind us of the liberty to participate in our government. The culminating event of "Civics Week" will be the Georgia Student Mock Election. Schools are asked to complete all voting by Friday, November 1st and submit results to the Office of Secretary of State.
"Civics Week" and the Georgia Student Mock Election is a collaborative effort between the Georgia Department of Education, the Secretary of State's Office, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and the Georgia Council of the Social Studies (GCSS). GCSS has created and produced lessons for teachers to use and made them available to school via CD-ROM as well as online. If you have questions regarding registration or ballot information, contact Tracie Murray in the Office of Secretary of State at tmurray@sos.state.ga.us or call 404-463-7713.
Look for Young Voices, REal Opinions to air on PeachStar, GPTV, and Georgia Public Radio during the first week of November to learn more about the issues surrounding this year's mock election.
