October 23, 2006

Contact:
National Youth Rights Association                                                        Orange County Contact:
(301) 738-6769                                                                                  Alexandar Hull-Richter, Director (National)
Alex Koroknay-Palicz, Executive Director                                            ahullrichter@youthrights.org
AKPalicz@youthrights.org                                                                   Natasha Hull-Richter, President (Orange County)
Scott Davidson, President                                                                    natasha@orangecounty.youthrights.org
sdavidson@youthrights.org                                                                  (714)953-0187
http://youthrights.org                                                                             http://orangecounty.youthrights.org

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 National Youth Rights Association
1703 Farragut Ave
Rockville, Maryland 20851

For immediate release:

Printable Version
Santa Ana, CA - October 25, 2006:  On Oct. 23, 2006, the last day for Californians to register to vote on Nov. 7, 15-year-old Natasha Hull-Richter, of Orange County, attempted to file her voter registration form at the county Registrar of Voters.  The registration form accurately showed that she was 15, and she informed both the clerk and supervisor.  The clerk and supervisor refused to accept the form.  Also filing a registration form was 17-year-old Alexandar Hull-Richter.  His registration form was accepted, but he was told he could not vote on Nov. 7.

Natasha asserted her rights under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which contains the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

Natasha accumulated a list of names of approximately 400 Americans who have died in Iraq before their first opportunity to vote in a presidential election because they were too young to vote during the presidential election before their death. "Americans are being sent to die by leaders
they did not elect before their first election," she said.

Alexandar added, “When dying without a vote is at stake, the classification of age should receive a heightened scrutiny under the Equal Protection clause."

Natasha and Alexandar both pay taxes and have piloted airplanes. They belong to a union and vote in union elections.  Natasha takes classes from Johns Hopkins University.  Alexandar has taken college classes by examination.   Both are active in Californian politics; they were largely responsible for the creation of the voter paper trail this year.

Natasha and Alexandar believe that bright and informed teenagers are the rule and not the exception.  Both believe that the writers of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 intentionally left the door open to lowering the voting age by noting that any person with a sixth-grade education has the literacy, comprehension and intelligence to vote in any election.

Alexandar is a member of the board of directors of the National Youth Rights Association, the largest youth rights organization in America.  Natasha is the President of the Orange County Chapter.  NYRA is working to end age discrimination against youth in the U.S.

Natasha Hull-Richter (NYRA-OC President): 

714-953-0187

Alex Koroknay-Palicz  (NYRA President): 

301-738-6769

E-mail Natasha@orangecounty.youthrights.org

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Youth Rights Association
1703 Farragut Ave
Rockville, Maryland 20851

Orange County Chapter of the National Youth Rights Association Starts off in Victory

Printable Version
New York City,  August 22, 2005:  For its opening move, the Orange County Chapter of the National Youth Rights Association started off by obtaining the full support of the California Democratic Party in calling for the lowering of the voting age. 

The California Democratic Party controls the state legislature, and it is yet to be seen whether the legislators will follow the wishes of the members of their party and work to lower the voting age or simply disregard the interests of their constituents.  The lowering of the voting age honors our servicemen and servicewomen.   More than 300 Americans who have died in Iraq were two young to vote for President at the time of the last presidential election before their deaths.  Lowering the voting age would be a nice tribute in their memory.

The National Youth Rights Association is a non-partisan organization.  The members of the Orange County Chapter also plan to contact leading Republicans to ask for their support.  Members and officers of this chapter work, pay taxes, belong to unions, vote in union elections, have piloted airplanes and have fought for several political causes, including the right of California voters to have a paper-trail, but cannot vote in regular elections because of their age. 

Chapter president, Natasha Hull-Richter said, “The members of this chapter feel that their generation has a lot to contribute to the voting process, the brains to vote for quality candidates and more of a stake in the outcome of elections than any older generation.  NYRA-OC calls on Americans to join the 21^st century and to be inclusive.  Until everyone gets the vote, no one is free.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the National Youth Rights Association:
NYRA, founded in 1998, is a Washington D.C. based 501(c)(3) non-profit. Its mission is to promote awareness of the legal and civil rights of young people in the United States. NYRA has over 5,500 members and has been featured on CNN, Fox News, PBS, NPR, and in the New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, Parade Magazine, LA Times, Christian Science Monitor, Baltimore Sun and numerous other publications.