Monterey High School Earns Anne Dallas Dudley Voter Registration Award

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Monterey High School Earns Anne Dallas Dudley Voter Registration Award

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Monterey High School earned the Secretary of State's Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award by registering 100% of the eligible students who are 18 or older to vote.

"The Monterey High School students, faculty and staff and the Putnam County Election Commission should be incredibly proud of reaching 100% voter registration," said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. "The commitment to civic engagement these students have shown is an excellent example for their community."

The Secretary of State's office launched the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program for the 2021-2022 school year to promote voter registration among Tennessee high school students. High schools that register 100% of the eligible students earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award. High schools that register at least 85% of the eligible students earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award.

"We are so pleased and proud at the effort and accomplishment which Monterey High School put into getting all their eligible students registered to vote," said Putnam County Administrator of Elections Michele Honeycutt. “They set an example of what it means to be good citizens. Now I encourage them to exercise their right to vote at every opportunity."

All Tennessee public, charter or private school or home school association can participate in the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program. This year 18 Tennessee high schools in 12 counties earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award. Eighteen high schools representing 13 counties earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award.

“Monterey High School is excited and grateful to receive the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Award,” said Monterey High School Principal Sonja Farley.  “We try to promote good citizenship at Monterey High School with our volunteering efforts in the community and through our education on the importance of the voting voice. It is important for students to understand the issues in today's society and help make decisions by getting involved."

The award is named in honor of renowned Tennessee suffragist Anne Dallas Dudley who helped lead the successful effort to get the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified. On Aug. 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to give women the right to vote.

The Anne Dallas Dudley Award is part of the Secretary of State's civics engagement initiative to increase voter registration in Tennessee and prepare students to be actively engaged citizens. For more information about the Anne Dallas Dudley Award and other civic engagement efforts from the Tennessee Department of State, visit sos.tn.gov/civics.