Contributed HONORED – Three students from Oak Glen High School visited Charleston in late February, where they were named honorary secretaries of state in recognition of their efforts to register their classmates to vote. Pictured, from left, are Oak Glen Principal Frank Crain, Student Council advisor Mandy McGeehan, students Ella Paras, Danica Holden, and Maddox McKay, and West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner.

NEW CUMBERLAND — Three students from Oak Glen High School recently returned from Charleston, where they were named honorary secretaries of state in recognition of their efforts to encourage the school’s seniors to register to vote.

Ella Paras, Danica Holden and Maddox McKay, members of Oak Glen’s Class of 2026, were recommended for the honor by the school’s principal, Frank Crain.

Nominations for the honor are accepted only from West Virginia high schools that qualify for the Jennings Randolph Award, which is earned by schools hosting a student-led voter registration drive in which at least 85 percent of eligible students register to vote.

Established by the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office in 1994, the Jennings Randolph Award for Civic Engagement commemorates the legacy of the late U.S. Sen. Jennings Randolph, known as the father of the 26th Amendment.

Enacted in 1971, the amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, an effort Randolph first championed 29 years earlier while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Since Kris Warner took office as West Virginia secretary of state in January 2025, more than 17,500 eligible high school students have registered to vote.

The students also were recognized by the West Virginia Legislature during their visit.

Early voting for the May 12 primary election begins Wednesday and runs through May 9.