Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announced a record high of 43 high schools have been recognized for registering eligible students to vote as part of the Carrie Chapman Catt Award for the 2023-2024 school year. The Carrie Chapman Catt Award goes to Iowa schools that register at least 90 percent of its eligible students to vote.
Among area schools that qualified, Fairfield High School made the list. It is the second time that Fairfield won the award. The other school that qualified was Keota High School, winning the award for the first time in school history.
The Carrie Chapman Catt Award was created by Secretary Pate in 2019 to encourage voter registration in Iowa high schools. Studies show that students who report being encouraged to vote or taught how to register to vote in high school are more likely to vote and be more invested in elections throughout their lifetimes.
“We are thrilled with the record number of schools being recognized this year and the thousands of young Iowans who have registered to vote as a result of the Carrie Chapman Catt Award program,” said Secretary Pate. “It is clear that Iowa students are highly engaged and interested in the elections process, and we look forward to seeing that reflected when they head to the polls once they are eligible.”
This year, approximately 3,500 high school students registered in conjunction with the Catt Award initiative. Currently, there are over 4,500 17-year-olds registered to vote in Iowa. This number is a thousand more than the 3,500 17-year-olds who were registered to vote in the fall of 2023 when the Carrie Chapman Award program opened for the 2023-2024 school year. Iowa law allows 17-year-olds to register to vote and to vote in primary elections if they will be 18 years of age by the time of the general election.
The record 43 Iowa schools that have been awarded the Carrie Chapman Catt Award surpasses the 2023 record of 31 recognized schools. Each of the 43 Iowa schools being recognized with this award is invited to host or attend a special award ceremony and trophy presentation with Secretary Pate.
