Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate presented the Carrie Chapman Catt Award to Fremont Mills High School on Friday, April 12, 2024. The award goes to any Iowa high school that registers at least 90% of eligible students to vote.
Fremont-Mills Middle and Senior High School registered 100% of eligible senior students as part of the Carrie Chapman Catt initiative. They are one of 126 high schools that participated in the program and one of 44 high schools that met the requirements to be awarded the Carrie Chapman Catt Award this year. This is the high school’s second year receiving the award.
“It’s important for every eligible Iowan to vote, and young people are a major part of that,” said Secretary Pate. “Young people in Iowa are becoming more and more engaged in Iowa’s election processes. Registering students to vote is a big step in keeping up that momentum. Since the creation of the Catt Award, thousands of students have registered to vote, and we look forward to seeing voter turnout in upcoming elections reflect that.”
The Carrie Chapman Catt Award is named after the famous Iowan who was instrumental in securing passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, granting women access to the ballot box 100 years ago. State law allows 17-year-olds to register to vote in Iowa. They can also participate in primary elections if they will be 18 years old in time for the general election.