Large group witnesses Floyd County proclamation of National Voter Registration Day/Month

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Several dozen people gathered at the Floyd County courthouse Tuesday morning to celebrate National Voter Registration Day and to help encourage others to sign up.

The AP government class members from Charles City High School and their teacher, Sarah Downing, joined students from Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock and Nashua Plainfield, members of the National 19th Amendment Society and county officials for a proclamation-signing and a group photo.

Gloria Carr, the Floyd County auditor and commissioner of elections, said she was “overwhelmed to have this crowd here — I didn’t expect this at all.”

Carr reminded the group that it is now legal for 17-year-olds to register to vote in Iowa, and they can vote in primary and general elections as long as they will be 18 by the date of the general election.

She also said her goal is for each of the six school districts that are part of Floyd County to reach the 90% 17- and 18-year-old voter registration level challenge that has been issued by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate and that would result in Pate presenting a Carrie Chapman Catt Award to each district.

Chapman Catt, who was instrumental in helping pass the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote, was raised in a home near Charles City, which is now preserved as a museum and interpretive center by the National 19th Amendment Society.

“Being the girlhood home of Carrie, we, of anyone, should make this 90% goal,” Carr said, while urging everyone present to “blast out” the message and encourage eligible high school students to register.

Downing, the CCHS social studies teacher, said her class was helping register their fellow students and tracking the numbers with the goal of reaching the 90% mark or higher.

As part of the gathering at the regular Floyd County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday morning, Supervisor Chairman Doug Kamm read and the board then passed a resolution noting Tuesday as National Voter Registration Day and September as National Voter Registration Month.

“The Floyd County Board of Supervisors joins efforts with Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, and Floyd County Auditor/Commissioner of Election Gloria Carr to encourage all interested citizens and all appropriate media outlets and civic organizations to participate in this non-partisan voter registration awareness campaign to encourage the maximum participation of qualified voters in Iowa,” the resolution reads in part.

This year is the 100th anniversary of Congress passing and Iowa ratifying the 19th Amendment. The amendment took effect Aug. 26, 1920, eight days after it was ratified by the last state required to reach three-fourths approval.