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On July 12, the DC Council unanimously approved an Advisory Referendum on the State of New Columbia Admission Act Resolution of 2016 (PR 21-839), allowing statehood to be on the ballot on November 8. District voters will answer one question with four parts. Voters will be asked:
Do you:
● agree to become the 51st state?
● approve the state constitution?
● agree to the boundaries?
● commit to a representative form of government?
Working toward the passage of the advisory referendum, the New Columbia Statehood Commission is seeking assistance to educate District residents about statehood and the referendum. The Students for 51 Statehood Bureau has been established to meet this goal.
For generations, students have been at the forefront of civil and voting rights movements to ensure that all voices are heard in the democratic process. Members of the Students for 51 Statehood Bureau will be critical to community and citizen engagement regarding the issue of DC Statehood. Students for 51 members will be asked to conduct outreach to their networks, provide public education materials on DC Statehood, and recruit volunteers to join the effort.
Members of the Students for 51 Statehood Bureau will be provided training, talking points, and materials to explain the importance of Statehood on college campuses in every ward. The universities located in Washington, DC draw students from across the country and all around the world. Many students do not realize that their neighbors, as DC voters, do not have the opportunity to elect voting congressional representatives or full autonomy over their own city. As millennials, Students for 51 members will be asked to build a more fair, democratic country for future generations. Students will speak at campus events, reach out to student organizations, and engage youth in the District on Statehood throughout September, October, and November.
Momentum for Statehood is at an all-time high, and active support is needed to build awareness and support across the District for the advisory referendum. We hope you will join us in these efforts.
Sign up for Students for 51 here.