Warner announces 2019-2020 winners of the Jennings Randolph Award

News Release
December 27, 2020

Award Named for Sen. Jennings Randolph, Father of the 26th Amendment

Charleston, W. Va. – Secretary of State Mac Warner is pleased to announce that 41 West Virginia high schools registered 85 to 100 percent of their eligible senior class to vote during the 2019-2020 school year, qualifying them for the Jennings Randolph Award.

The full list of recipients is below.

Celebrating its 26th year, the Jennings Randolph Award program is an effort by the Secretary of State’s office working with county clerks to encourage students to discuss the importance of civic engagement and to register to vote. The Award is named for the late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph, a West Virginia native, who sponsored the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reduced the voting age from 21 to 18. It took Randolph 29 years to get Congress to pass the Amendment and to send it to the states for ratification.

West Virginia’s public and private high schools that register at least 85 percent of their eligible students to vote are honored with the award for their efforts.

The Jennings Randolph Award “Gold Level” is given to West Virginia high schools that register 100 percent of their eligible senior class to vote. The “Silver Level” is awarded to schools that register at least 85 percent.

As part of the Jennings Randolph Award program, schools that qualify are also eligible to nominate up to two students for Honorary Secretary of State recognition. The list of 2019-2020 honorees will be announced at a later date.

“Since 2017, we’ve worked with county clerks and student leaders throughout the state to register more than 62,000 high school seniors (19 or younger when registered) to vote,” Warner said. “That’s an incredible accomplishment for a state the size of West Virginia and one we should be very proud of.”

Schools interested in the Jennings Randolph Award or Honorary Secretary of State program should visit our website for more information.
2019-2020 Jennings Randolph Award Winners

Schools that registered 100% of their senior class to vote have achieved the Gold Level and are marked with an asterisk(*).

Barbour County
Philip Barbour High School*

Berkeley County
Hedgesville High School