By the California State PTA Legislative Advocacy Team
July is prime planning season for PTA leaders, and this year there is an extra item for your agenda: civic engagement. With a general election in November, there has never been a better time to get started.
Californians will be voting not just for state and federal candidates, but also for school board members and other local officeholders, as well as ballot measures ranging from statewide propositions to local school bonds and parcel taxes. These are exactly the kinds of issues PTA was founded to engage with. Civic engagement, from voter registration to ballot measure advocacy, is one of the most meaningful things a PTA can do for its community.
Whether you are stepping into a leadership role for the first time or returning for another year, our Civic Engagement & Voting page on our website is your starting point. It brings together downloadable resources, voter registration tools, and guidance for everything covered in this post.
What PTAs Can Do (and There Is a Lot)!
California State PTA is a nonpartisan organization, which means we do not endorse or oppose candidates or political parties. But nonpartisan does not mean neutral on everything, and it certainly does not mean being on the sidelines. PTAs can and should:
- Register voters and encourage voting and civic engagement in your community
- Host or co-host with other nonprofits local candidate forums, with all candidates invited and more than one confirmed to attend
- Share voter information and resources from your county office of elections, the California Secretary of State, or California State PTA (or other nonpartisan sources).
- Take positions on local ballot measures (with a work study and an association vote), including school bonds and parcel taxes, and support or oppose those measures.
- Engage on statewide ballot measures that align with our mission. California State PTA actively evaluates state propositions and provides guidance to local PTAs on those measures. Find our current statewide ballot measure positions at capta.org/focus-areas/advocacy/state-ballot-measures.
What we cannot do is endorse a candidate or allow our PTA name or title to be associated with any candidacy. Individual PTA leaders and members can participate in campaigns as private citizens, but not at PTA events or in their official PTA capacity.
For a handy reference on navigating these rules, download our PTA & Elections flyer and share it with your board at your first meeting of the year.
Plan a Voter Registration Drive This Fall
One of the highest-impact things your PTA can do is host a voter registration drive. It is a nonpartisan activity that can take place on school district property with the proper approvals, making it a natural fit for back-to-school nights, open houses, and fall events.
A few things to keep in mind as you plan:
- Start early. Do the bulk of your registration activities well before major election deadlines.
- Contact your county elections office to obtain key deadlines, ask about training, and request materials.
- Pick the right moments. High-traffic school events like open house, arts nights, sporting events, or Candidates’ Forums are ideal.
- Think multilingual. Voter registration forms are available in many languages from the California Secretary of State’s website. Be sure to have forms that reflect the languages spoken in your community.
- Mark your calendar. National Voter Registration Day is September 15, 2026.
You can also promote voter registration on an ongoing basis by placing a QR code linking to registertovote.ca.gov in your school office, including a registration form in new-parent packets, and encouraging families who have moved to update their registration.
For detailed guidance, download our Voter Registration Drive flyer.
A Student Voter Registration Opportunity for PTSAs
High school PTSAs have a powerful and often underutilized opportunity: in California, 16- and 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the next election can preregister to vote. That means your PTSA can help the next generation of voters get ready before Election Day, right on campus.
PTSAs can work directly with students to organize student voter registration drives, and California State PTA is proud to partner with The Civics Center to make that easier. The Civics Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to making voter registration a standard part of high school life. They provide free training, toolkits, and state-specific guides for student-led registration drives that PTSAs can put to use right away.
Students who participate in civic engagement activities may also be eligible for the California Department of Education’s State Seal of Civic Engagement. The State Seal of Civic Engagement acknowledges students who go beyond the classroom to participate in democracy, and it follows them on their diploma and transcript as they head to college and careers.
Your One-Stop Resource, and an Invitation
All of the resources mentioned in this post live on our Civic Engagement & Voting page. You will find downloadable flyers, voter registration tools, ballot measure guidance, and more, all in one place.
Civic engagement is one of PTA’s oldest and most important roles. Long before this November’s election, PTAs have been the connective tissue between families and the democratic process, helping communities register to vote, understand what is on the ballot, and show up informed. As you prepare for the year ahead, we strongly encourage you to carry that tradition forward. The work PTAs do on civic engagement does not just serve this election cycle; It builds the habits and communities that sustain democracy for years to come.