Cape Coral High School was named winner of the 2009 High School Voter Registration Challenge during a Lee County School Board meeting Tuesday night.
The school’s 20-member Youth in Government club organized and executed the voter registration challenge.
The school board presented Principal Eric McFee, Youth in Government Advisor Drew Gascon and students from the club with a trophy that rotates to the winning school each year.
Youth in Government officers include Joe Burch, Brandon Savio, Caprice Crowley and Mischa Zaida. According to McFee, they were instrumental in winning the challenge.
The High School Voter Registration Challenge began in 2001 as a way to register high school seniors to vote and get them active in the elections process.
Supervisor of Elections Sharon Harrington attended Tuesday’s meeting and announced the winners. She also complemented Cape Coral High on its involvement in the voting process.
“Last year was such a huge year that we were surprised there were any people left in the county to get registered to vote,” said Vicki Collins, public relations director for the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Cape Coral High also won last year when the challenge reached a fever pitch during the presidential election. During the 2007-08 school year, students signed up 2,200 people to vote.
“Last year I thought we drained the pool when everyone wanted to register to vote for Obama,” said McFee. “We won, but we won big. We were over half of the total amount they got in.”
The challenge was open to any Lee County high school from April 22-May 13. Cape Coral High, Fort Myers High and Cypress Lake High were the only competitors. Overall, Cape Coral High handed in 175 new voter registration applications.
Each year the Supervisor of Elections office sends a representative to schools to explain the voting process and assist with filling out voter registration applications. Due to this year’s budget restraints, it sent schools a PowerPoint presentation.
“It is a friendly competition between the high schools,” said Collins.