Jackson Jambalaya

Mississippi Secretary of State Eggbert Hosemann issued the following press release.

Jackson, Miss.—Forty-seven of the thousands of K-12 students who participated in 2016 Promote the Vote activities left the Mississippi Capitol today with a special award from Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann.

Promote the Vote is the Secretary of State’s comprehensive K-12 voter education program, which kicked off with a mock election in October 2016. The program ends today by honoring student winners in visual arts, essay, editorial, advertising, and other contests. Themed “My Voice, My Vote,” the 2016 program highlighted the importance of voting in our democracy and how one ballot truly can make a difference in an election.

“Using one of their greatest assets—creativity—these talented students have demonstrated the importance of participating in the selection of our State and National leaders,” Secretary Hosemann said. “Promote the Vote is an important program we facilitate because it encourages the next generation of citizens to become part of the election process, the bedrock of our Country.”

Free to participating schools, Promote the Vote began in 1996. About 1.6 million students from across the State, have participated in the program to date.

In addition to the mock election and contests, grade-level lesson plans and downloadable activity sheets developed in connection with the Mississippi Department of Education are available to participating schools.

This year, more than 292 schools and about 95,499 students participated in Promote the Vote activities.

More information about Promote the Vote is available on the Secretary of State’s website. A full list of winners is attached and is also accessible on the website, and the ceremony can be viewed on the Secretary of State’s Facebook page.