NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett recently presented Stewart County High School with the prestigious Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award. The school earned this designation by registering 85 percent of its eligible students to vote.

“Exceeding the 85 percent threshold is a distinction achieved by only 51 high schools in the entire state,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “I applaud the Stewart County Election Commission along with the students, faculty, and staff at this school for their commitment to increasing voter registration.”

The Secretary of State’s office launched the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program for the 2023-2024 school year to promote voter registration among Tennessee high school students. High schools that registered 100 percent of eligible students earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award. High schools that registered at least 85 percent of eligible students earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award.

“We are extremely proud of our students at Stewart County High School for their desire and commitment to get engaged and registered to vote,” said Stewart County Administrator of Elections Daniel Perigo. “They are our future leaders; by encouraging others to follow their footsteps, we are hopeful that more young people in our community and across Tennessee become lifelong voters.” 

All Tennessee public, charter/private school, and home school associations can participate in the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program. This year, 32 Tennessee high schools in 24 counties earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award, and 19 high schools representing 16 counties earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award.

The award is named in honor of renowned Tennessee suffragist Anne Dallas Dudley, who helped lead the successful effort to ratify the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. 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 through the Secretary of State’s office, please visit sos.tn.gov/civics.