Heather Kelley

Heather was born on August 2nd, 1987 on Howard Air Force Base, Panama. Due to her father's brave military service she has lived in Panama, Germany, California, Alabama, Utah, Colorado, and she moved to Olympia, Washington in 2001. She graduated from Olympia High School in 2005, where she participated in Track and Field, was an officer of her German club. She has been a Girl Scout for 13 years, Venture Scout for 2 years, and held leadership positions in both. She has also been actively involved in her church and community since childhood. She is now studying materials science, language, and history at Washington State University and is considering becoming a lobbyist.

Heather first became involved with youth voting rights after reading about Robert Reynolds' efforts to lower the voting age in California. After researching the issue in great detail, she learned much about the issue and efforts across the globe. She realized it's significance to our past, during the Revolutionary War the colonists were fighting for independence from Britain because they were being taxed with no representation in Parliament. Taxation without representation is being perpetuated in the youth today. In response to this injustice she helped to found the Washington Youth Voting Rights Society (WAYVRS), in which he served as the organizations first Chairperson. Heather was one of three people who were instrumental in getting a bill proposed into the Washington State Legislature that would lower the voting age to 16. She continues to serve WAYVRS as the chairperson.