NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Secretary of State Tre Hargett presented the Pellissippi State Community College with an award for winning the annual Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition in the Two-Year Community College category.

“Pellissippi State Community Colleges students’ commitment and excitement to register their fellow students to vote is remarkable,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Registering to vote is the first step in making your voice heard at the polls on Election Day. I hope all these newly registered voters actively participate in our electoral process.”

The Secretary of State’s 2023 Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition was held during National Voter Registration Month in September. Thirty-eight of Tennessee’s 2- and 4-year colleges, universities and technical colleges across the state participated in this year’s contest.

“I am very proud of the effort our student leaders made to register new voters during Secretary Hargett's Voter Registration Competition,” said Pellissippi State Community College President Dr. L. Anthony Wise Jr. “We want all of our students to have a great educational experience at Pellissippi State and that includes becoming more civically engaged and connected with the community. This recognition is a wonderful example of that kind of work.”

In addition to Pellissippi State Community College, Tennessee College of Applied Technology Pulaski won in the Tennessee College of Applied Technology category, Cumberland University earned the top spot in the private school category and Middle Tennessee State University won in the 4-year public university category in this year’s Tennessee College Voter Registration Competition.

The winning schools were selected based on points earned by registering students to vote, creating a voter registration campaign for their campus and promoting voter registration on social media using #GoVoteTN along with their campus-specific hashtag.

For more information about the Secretary of State's civic engagement initiatives, visit sos.tn.gov/civics.