Warner recognizes Sissonville High School student for his effort to register classmates to vote

Charleston, W.Va. – On Tuesday, March 11th, WV Secretary of State Kris Warner hosted a student leader from Sissonville High School (SHS) as his honored guest at the State Capitol.

Christian Baldwin – a member of the 2025 graduating class at SHS – was recommended by his principal to represent their school as an Honorary Secretary of State for his effort to register members of the SHS senior class to vote. Nominations for Honorary Secretaries of State are only accepted by those high schools that qualify for the Jennings Randolph Award. To qualify for the Award, a West Virginia high school must host a student-led effort to register at least 85% of their eligible senior class to vote.

Started by the WV Secretary of State's Office in 1994, the ​​Jennings Randolph Award for Civic Engagement commemorates West Virginia's late U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph’s legacy as the Father of the 26th Amendment. One of the defining moments in voting rights history, the 26th Amendment was passed in 1971. The Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, an effort Senator Randolph had first championed 29 years earlier in the U.S. House of Representatives. ​

In addition to a morning spent with Secretary Warner in his office and a tour of the State Capitol, Baldwin was recognized on the House floor by one of his representatives, Delegate Dana Ferrell, for his service to the state and community.