By Gillian Rees – News Editor

Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz spoke alongside State Senator James Maroney and Milford Mayor Benjamin G. Blake on Friday, October 23, about the Youth Mock Election program taking place across Connecticut and on how important it is for young adults to vote.

For the first time ever there is an initiative for high school students across Connecticut to be involved in a mock voting program that will not only give them an insight on the voting process, but also hopefully inspire them to be involved in voting once they turn 18. 

“We want our young people to be engaged in civics and voting and democracy,” Bysiewicz stated. “It’s not just about voting, of course we want our students to participate and to vote in every election, but we also want them to think about being part of public service.”

The goal of the youth voting initiative is to initiate an involvement between adolescents and the voting process and to get familiar with it for when it is their time to vote.  

“This is a fantastic program,” Maroney said. “The more people we get out to vote, the better the decisions we come up with.”

This program will help teach high school students about the voting process, inspire them to go vote when they are of age, and teach them how to get engaged in civics. 

“The opportunity for our students to begin understanding the process and participate in that process will ensure that they have these opportunities as they enter adulthood,” Jonathan Law Principal Mr. Thompson said. “We are so grateful for this opportunity.”

Jonathan Law Vice Principal Mr. Hoggatt sent out an email regarding the program to all students. History teachers also posted a link on their Google Classroom pages.