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Youth Voter interns achieve state award
Four local students have just made Olathe High eligible to receive the Eliza Pickrell Routt Award from the Colorado Secretary of State. This award is given to all high schools that register 85% or more of their eligible senior body population to vote by the end of each school year.
Cinthia, Soledad, Leif and Jesus are running the Western Slope Youth Voter Initiative in Montrose County. They represent a larger group of almost 30 students who are currently running peer to peer voter registration efforts in three counties across the Western Slope, and are the first to achieve their goal of registering over 85% of seniors in their schools.
The Eliza Pickrell Routt Award has been handed out in person by the Secretary of State more often on the Front Range, but most Western Slope schools have yet to receive it. We are currently coordinating a date for Secretary of State Wayne Williams, or his representative, to come in person to deliver the award to Olathe High School.
With the midterm election just around the corner, the students working the Western Slope Youth Voter Initiative have turned their attention to turning their eligible peers out to vote on November 6, and will resume registering students after the election.
See more media coverage of this story on Western Slope Now and KREX and the Montrose Daily Press.
Jeriel joined the Western Colorado Alliance staff in February 2017 (back when we were still Western Colorado Congress), but you may remember her as our Canvass Director for the successful Minimum Wage ballot initiative in 2016! In her young career, Jeriel has worked with engaged citizens across Colorado on issues ranging from veterans' affairs, healthcare and women’s rights. Jeriel has called Grand Junction and the Western Slope home for 16 years, and enjoys running, hiking, biking and crafting with her daughter Emma.