Dozens of young people and community members gathered at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center on Wednesday night to address one thing: how to get young people to the polls.
The Mayor’s Youth Council, in partnership with Let America Vote, a national nonprofit focused on encouraging people to vote and advocating for less restrictive voting policies, pitched ideas on how to get young people engaged in the electoral process in Hamilton County.
“Tennessee sucks at voting,” said Noah Risley, a junior at McCallie School, to the panel judging the students’ ideas.
The judges included Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, local attorney Chantelle Roberson and Jason Kander, former Missouri secretary of state and current president of Let America Vote.
The five student groups presented potential ways to educate young voters and get them registered – and excited – to vote. The ideas included a social media campaigning using the hashtag “#YourVoteMatters,” a “Vo-TEen Fair,” a politically charged music festival and mock elections within local schools.