Warner recognizes two Ripley High School students as 'Honorary Secretaries of State' for their effort to register classmates to vote

Charleston, W.Va. – WV Secretary of State Kris Warner hosted two student leaders from Ripley High School (RHS) in Jackson County as his honored guests at the State Capitol.

Gracie Thomas and Rylee Harbour—both members of the 2025 graduating class at RHS—were recommended by their principal to represent their school as Honorary Secretaries of State for their efforts to register members of the 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.

Secretary Warner said, "It's wonderful to see student leaders at Ripley High School take the initiative to register their classmates to vote. Their actions remind us that every voter, no matter their age, has a voice on important issues impacting our communities."

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, Thomas and Harbour were recognized on the House floor by one of their representatives, Delegate "Happy" Joe Parsons, for their service to the state and community.