Civic participation in government Your responsibilities and participation in the government

Your responsibilities as a citizen: Follow all the laws Pay taxes Perform public service Be informed about current issues Respect the opinions of others

Voting Another duty you have is to participate in the political process. The easiest way for you to do this is through voting. You can also do this through running for elected office.

Registering to vote in Georgia American citizens who are at least 17 ½ years old can register to vote in Georgia in one of the following ways: – Online or by mail – fill out a simple half page form found on the Secretary of State’s website - type “Registering to vote in Georgia” in Google – Motor Voter – Citizens can register to vote when obtaining a driver’s license

Jury Duty Another part of civic participation is jury duty Registered voters are called on periodically to serve on juries Typically jury duty lasts only a few days and citizens are rarely called upon more than a few times in their lives

Selective Service All men ages 18 – 25 are required to register for selective service In the event of a draft, men would be called using a random lottery number and date of birth Once called, men would undergo physical, mental, and moral fitness tests before being inducted into the military or given a deferment

Who must register ALL male citizens ages 18 – 25 Permanent residents (those who have a green card) Migrant workers Refugees and those granted asylum Illegal (undocumented) aliens Dual US citizens Those with physical or mental handicaps who can function without assitance

Consequences for not registering Any man who fails to register is subject to prosectution - if convicted he could face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison term of five years You MUST be registered with Selective Service to receive any kind of financial aid for college (including any form of loans, grants, or the HOPE scholarship) Those applying for citizenship must have registered for selective service if they arrived in the US before their 26 th birthday You must be registered for selective service to be eligibile for federal job training programs or to be eligible for a federal job

When to register for Selective Service You have a 60 day window to register – 30 days before your 18 th birthday and 30 days after Late registrations are accepted but remember that at that point you are in violation of the law You may register as early as 17 years, 3 months

How to register for Selective Service You can register for Selective Service in the following ways: Online at At the post office By mail By checking the Selective Service box on your FAFSA form (the form you use to get financial aid for school)