NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Moore County High School received the Secretary of State’s Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award by registering at least 85% of the eligible students who are 18 or older to vote. 

“I applaud Moore County High School earning our Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award,” said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “Our office created the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program to encourage all eligible Tennessee high school students to register to vote and participate in our electoral process. I commend your commitment to increase voter registration in Moore County by registering at least 85% of eligible students.”

High schools that register at least 85% of the eligible students earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award and those that register 100% of the eligible students earn the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award.

“It brings great joy to see our high school students understand the need to go to the register to vote and go to the pools and express themselves and get involved in our political process,” said Moore County Administrator of Elections Jim Sanders. 

Moore County High School, along with eight other high schools representing a total of eight counties, earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award. Thirteen Tennessee high schools in 13 counties earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level.  All Tennessee public, charter, and private schools and home school associations could participate in the second annual Anne Dallas Dudley Award program.

“Moore County High School was proud to participate in the Anne Dallas Dudley Award contest,” said Moore County High School Principal Brad Sanders. “Our mission statement at MCHS is to provide all students every opportunity to succeed in school, be college and career ready when they leave, and lead productive and honorable adult lives. We feel that participating in the Anne Dallas Dudley Award allowed for an excellent opportunity of encouraging students to register to vote as citizens in our community, state, and country.”

The Secretary of State’s Anne Dallas Dudley Award, launched in 2021, is named after renowned Tennessee suffragist Anne Dallas Dudley. She helped lead the successful effort to get the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified nationwide and in her home state. On Aug. 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to pass the Amendment giving women the right to vote.

The award is part of the Secretary of State’s civics engagement initiative to increase voter registration in Tennessee and prepare students to be actively engaged citizens. For more information about the Anne Dallas Dudley Award and other Department of State civic engagement efforts, visit sos.tn.gov/civics.