January 6, 2026
NASHVILLE, Tenn.– Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett today announced that applications for the 2026 Anne Dallas Dudley Voter Registration Awards are now being accepted.
Initiated in 2021, the Anne Dallas Dudley Awards aim to increase voter registration in Tennessee among students who will be 18 or older on or before the next election, in accordance with state law, and prepare them to become actively engaged citizens.
“The Anne Dallas Dudley Award seeks to motivate young Tennesseans to register to vote and inspire others in their community to take the first step in becoming a voter. Furthermore, it demonstrates that it has never been easier to register to vote in Tennessee,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett.
Tennessee’s local election commissions are key partners in supporting those participating in the Anne Dallas Dudley Awards, helping to promote voter registration and the significance of fair and transparent elections among eligible students. All 95 Tennessee counties have a bipartisan election commission, which works diligently to maintain the integrity of the electoral process while helping new voters navigate their first steps toward civic engagement.
The award is named in honor of Anne Dallas Dudley, a suffragist, who helped lead the successful effort to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to pass the amendment giving women the right to vote.
Tennessee high schools that register 100 percent of eligible students 18 or older to vote earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award. Those registering at least 85 percent of eligible students 18 or older earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award.
The application deadline is March 20, 2026, and the program is open to all Tennessee public, charter, private school, or homeschool associations. For award rules and guidelines, please visit https://sos.tn.gov/anne-dallas-dudley-award.
For more information about other civic engagement education efforts, visit sos.tn.gov/civics.
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