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Kentucky SOS celebrates Mercer County school for getting all seniors registered to vote

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Posted at 6:05 PM, Jun 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-08 18:49:08-04

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams made a trip to Burgin Independent Schools Tuesday afternoon to celebrate after he learned all 29 of its seniors had registered to vote.

For the accomplishment, Adams presented the Frederick Douglass award and gave the school a banner to hang in the building.

According to the Secretary of State's Office, the Frederick Douglass award "encourages peer-to-peer non-partisan voter registration, participation, and civic engagement."

"Frederick Douglass was a self-made individual, former slave, got his freedom, and then he was an advocate for equality and an advocate for participation in government," Adams said. "We wanted to name this program after him."

The award goes to schools that register every member of their senior class to vote. Adams said Burgin High School is the only school that has done that this school year.

The award was given in partnership with the Kentucky YMCA and 'Inspire2Vote'.

Social Studies teacher Jennifer Barlow lead the charge in getting all of the seniors to vote. She said it's important for young people to understand the power the right to vote holds.

"The power is there because of the sacrifice that is made and so when you actually think of how much power a vote can actually have, it can change dynamics within the local state and federal level," Barlow said.