Caddo Parish Schools offer voter registration to high school students
By Sidney Lain
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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — Turning 18 comes with new responsibilities, including the opportunity to vote. High school students across Caddo Parish took the first step today.
Caddo Parish Schools held its annual high school voter registration day.
Quinton Aught ran for city council at the age of 18 and is now teaching about the importance of voting in his civics classes at Booker T. Washington.
“I want young people to do the same. I want them to understand that this is very important because if young people don’t understand what’s going on, they’re going to be blind to the process. They’re not going to know what’s taking place, and we can’t have that,” said Aught, a Booker T. Washington civics teacher.
One Booker T. Washington junior wanted to make sure his voice was heard in future elections.
“As young people, we have to have that voice in politics; otherwise, we risk losing all that we’ve worked for. All they are. All the people that came before us because they worked for us to have these rights. So, if we don’t use our voice now, we risk losing those,” said David Adger, a Booker T. Washington junior.
Aught said his job teaching high schoolers about the role they play in government is crucial.
“They don’t understand that they have power, and if they don’t understand that they have the power within themselves to hold those people accountable, you know, they’re never going to know,” said Aught.
Adger appreciated that Caddo Parish Schools allowed him and his peers to sign up to vote.
It does feel very comforting to know that our school wants us to be able to have the right to vote, and they’re just getting us out there ready for the real world,” said Adger.
The first week in October is when high school voter registration is celebrated nationally, but last year, former Gov. John Bel Edwards made May the month for Louisiana high school voter registration.
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