LAS VEGAS (FOX5) -
The drive for voter registration has made its way into the classroom, and one parent says her son was told to give false information.
Speaking anonymously to FOX5, a Las Vegas Academy parent was alarmed when her son needed his social security number for a 12th grade government class homework assignment.
"When I asked him what he needed it for, he said he needed it for his voter registration," the parent said.
She looked at the form, and saw the box, next to the question, "Will you be 18 years of age on or before election day" was marked yes.
"(I told him) 'you're not 18, you can't do this, and why is this marked yes,' and he said, 'well because my teacher told me to do it,'" the parent told FOX5.
"That kind of raised a red flag for me, I was like wait a second, I'm not going to be 18," the student told FOX5.
The student says the forms were brought in by a man who did not work for the school or the district.
"Apparently it was an alumni for the school and he came to the government class and asked to have it handed out," the parent said.
It is not illegal to fill out a voter registration form when you're only 17 years old, in fact, Clark County Registrar of Voters Larry Lomax encourages it.
"Look at it this way, it's just exactly the same as if you gave us the form, we set it on the shelf and waited until you turned 18," Lomax said.
But he said the student should be honest on the form.
"If the answer is no, then you should mark no," Lomax told FOX5.
The Clark County School District also released a statement:
"The District teaches students about local, state and U.S. Government as part of their education, the voting process is an important aspect of all levels of government. Teaching students about their right to vote and civic responsibility is a part of their education experience. As educators, it is our responsibility to teach our students about the process, we do not influence their political values or decisions. Students are allowed to fill out voter registration cards but never encouraged to give false information. The accusation that a student was asked to check a box that did not apply to her is currently being investigated."
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