Fairfield, Hillcrest Academy honored for getting students to register to vote

Fairfield Community School District and Hillcrest Academy have been honored by the state of Iowa for getting large numbers of their student body to register to vote.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced that 19 Iowa schools qualified for the Carrie Chapman Catt Award this school year. The award goes to schools that register at least 90 percent of their eligible students to vote. More than 2,600 high school students registered this year in conjunction with the Catt Award initiative.

Fairfield was one of the 19 schools to receive a Carrie Chapman Catt Award for registering at least 90 percent of eligible students. Hillcrest Academy registered 70 percent of its eligible student body, so it will receive a commemorative banner.

Secretary Pate created the award in 2019 to encourage voter registration in Iowa high schools. The award is named after Carrie Chapman Catt, a famous Iowa native who was instrumental in securing passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women access to the ballot box more than 100 years ago.

“It’s great to see so many young people stepping up and taking the first step in the voting process by getting registered,” Secretary Pate said. “Thank you to the teachers and administrators at these 17 schools by engaging the students in civics. I tell young people all the time, the best way to make your voice heard is by voting, and to do that, you need to get registered.”

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