The Collier County Supervisor of Elections has kicked off its annual High School Voter Registration Challenge with the now 11-year-old initiative aiming to educate and motivate high schoolers to get out and vote.
Collier County Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier recalls the first time she voted. It was during the 2000 election.
“I think everybody remembers 2000 especially in the state of Florida, because it was Bush versus Gore, and it was the year of the “hanging chads” in the state of Florida," Blazier said.
Blazier graduated from Naples High School and reminisces about casting her first-ever ballot.
“I think that as a young person, it's intimidating, especially when you're doing something for the first time and you're not really sure what you're doing," Blazier said. "But I remember actually having to sign in on a paper precinct register, and back then we had lever machines.”
As the country gears up for yet another historic election in November, the Collier County Supervisor of Elections office is challenging area high schools to compete and see which school can pre-register and register the most voters from now until October 4, 2024.
“We actually get the opportunity to go into each of these high schools, give a brief presentation about kind of the demographics of the registered voters in Collier County, what it means to be a participant in our democratic process, and should some of these students actually be 18 by November 5 this year, they'll be able to vote for the first time in a presidential election," Blazier said.
During the presentation, students will complete their voter registration application and learn about the various ways they can vote during any election.
"A lot of people don't vote in primary elections, so we really want to kind of just instill that opportunity that we have here in the state of Florida and Collier County to have these young people voting on a regular basis," Blazier said.
Since its start in 2013, Collier’s High School Voter Registration Challenge has registered and pre-registered 10,500 students, averaging 1,000 students per year.
So far this year, Aubrey Rogers High School, Barron Collier High School, Beacon High School, First Baptist Academy, Golden Gate High School, Immokalee High School, Lely High School, Marco Island Academy, and Palmetto Ridge High School have signed up to participate.
To register as voters students must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 but can pre-register to vote at 16 and 17 years old.
“These 16-, 17-, 18-year-olds, they're the future of our country," Blazier said. "Instilling that importance of voting and being an educated voter, young, you know, early on in life is so important.”
The school with the most voter registration and pre-registration among its eligible student population will be honored with a plaque presented by Blazier.
Any Collier County High Schools still wanting to participate in the High School Voter Registration Challenge can do so by contacting the Collier County Supervisor of Elections office. Visit www.CollierVotes.gov or call (239) 252-8683.
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