NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Secretary of State Tre Hargett is excited to announce the Secretary of State’s annual Anne Dallas Dudley Award for Tennessee high schools, which meet student voter registration thresholds, for the 2023-2024 school year.

“Our office created this award to foster civic engagement among Tennessee students,” said Secretary Hargett. “Each year, we look forward to working with county election commissions and high schools across our great state to increase student participation in our election process.”

Named in honor of renowned Tennessee suffragist, the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award is given to high schools that register 100% of the eligible students to vote. High schools that register at least 85% of the eligible students earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award. Tennessee law allows students who will be 18 or older on or before the next election to register to vote.

Secretary Hargett’s office launched the Anne Dallas Dudley Award in 2021. Since then, the Secretary of State’s office has presented 31 Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Awards and 28 high Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Awards to high schools across Tennessee. 

Suffragist Anne Dallas Dudley helped lead the successful effort to ratify the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution nationwide in her home state, Tennessee. On Aug. 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to pass the amendment giving women the right to vote.

All Tennessee public, private or home school associations are encouraged to participate in the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program. Participating schools must submit an Anne Dallas Dudley Award application by Monday, Feb. 5, 2024.

The Anne Dallas Dudley Award is part of the Secretary of State’s civics engagement initiative to promote voter registration to Tennessee students and prepare them to be actively engaged citizens. For more information about this award and guidelines or our other civic engagement education efforts, visit sos.tn.gov/civics.