A flyer advertises a voting initiative field trip that will take place on Nov. 1. Seniors who are registered to vote will be walked to the Athens-Clarke County Library to vote in the Georgia General Elections. “They’re doing it Oct. 29 through Nov. 2 at the library and then they’re gonna cut (early voting) off, so I thought (the library would) be a good spot,” Curriculum Assistance Programs for Students department teacher Dr. Stefan Smith said. Photo by Ana Aldridge
A voting initiative field trip is being held on Nov. 1 to encourage civic participation among eligible student voters.
Clarke Central High School students who are registered to vote will have the opportunity to go on a walking field trip on Nov. 1, where they will cast their ballots for the Georgia General Elections at the Athens-Clarke County Library.
Curriculum Assistance Programs for Students department teachers Dr. Stefan Smith and Carla Johnson are organizing the event to help eligible students vote. Smith is working to spread the word about the event.
“We’re gonna have a table at all four lunches and we’ll have a sign and (students) can come and sign up and then they’ve gotta get a permission slip signed,” Smith said. “We’ll also push it through senior advisement (today). Hopefully, that’ll give people time to get their permission slips signed and stuff. If I could get (20 to 40 students), that’s a good number.”
Smith chose to walk students to the public library to vote, rather than take the bus to the Board of Elections.
“I thought that’d be a good spot because if we went to the Board of Elections Downtown for early voting, we would have to get a bus and ride, which is OK, and that’s what (Cedar Shoals High School) did,” Smith said. “But I think it’s gonna have a little more meaning if you walk and, you know, walk down Baxter.”
Smith hopes that the voting initiative field trip will help students participate in their government.
“We wanna give kids the opportunity to vote for the first time,” Smith said. “That’s a civic duty. I just think it’s important for everybody to vote, no matter what I think giving them an opportunity, that’ll help.”
Senior Juan Rodriguez will be attending the voting initiative field trip and looks forward to voting for the first time.
“I heard about (the field trip) from a kid that came into my class,” Rodriguez said. “It feels pretty good because I feel like I can make a change in the community. It’s my first time voting, so I’m pretty interested.”
The ODYSSEY Media Group will offer coverage of the field trip tomorrow.
