By Staff Report
Wednesday, March 21, 2017, The Alabama Secretary of State’s Office is delighted to announce that we were honored with The National Association of State Boards of Education Award for Outstanding Leadership in Voter Education from The National Student/Parent Mock Election. The award is given to states across the US who have organized a student mock election in order to educate today’s youth on the importance of voting and citizen involvement in government.
Secretary of State Merrill said, “We’re honored to receive this award. Voting is one of the most fundamental rights we receive as American citizens, and it is our duty to teach the next generation the importance of that right as early as possible. The Alabama Votes Student Mock Election provided teachers and parents with the necessary materials and opportunity to share the voting experience with their students, which will benefit them in the near future when they reach the legal voting age.”
The Secretary of State’s Office, along with the assistance of the American Village, the Alabama Independent School Association, ALFA Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Business Council of Alabama, Alabama Power, Election Systems and Software, Power South, the Alabama State Department of Education, and Austal, held a statewide student Mock Election on October 25, 2016 for all 4th through 12th grade students in public, private, parochial/Christian, and homeschools from across the state, and 174,125 students participated.
John Merrill was elected Secretary of State in 2014 after previously serving in the Alabama House of Representatives.
