Over 500 Caddo students register to vote as part of national effort

CADDO PARISH, La. (KSLA) - Heading into summer break, hundreds of Caddo Parish students are now registered voters. This effort was all part of National High School Voter Registration Week, which took place in early May.

Here’s a breakdown of the new voters by high school:

Huntington High School: 104
Woodlawn Leadership Academy: 80
Southwood High School: 77
Northwood High School: 60
C.E. Byrd High School: 54
Green Oaks Performing Arts Academy: 43
Booker T. Washington New Technology High: 40
Caddo Parish Magnet High Schools: 26
Captain Shreve High School: 16
Caddo Virtual Academy: 1
Total: 501

KSLA caught up with Huntington High School educators to discuss the importance and significance of this voter registration drive. Cindy Davis, a history teacher, believes it allows students to feel more empowered and engaged in the community.

“When you look at previous elections, especially at a local level, we have so many people that don’t vote at all,” Davis explained. “For these kids to realize they are becoming young adults, and that they can make a difference in their community and country, I think it’s incredibly impactful.”

Davis added that Huntington students felt particularly compelled to register following the tragic and sudden death of Emmanuel Slack, a former Huntington student who died in a fire in 2021.

“He was an amazing kid and he was very politically involved and he really got a lot of our other kids to get involved,” she explained. “Some of his friends were instrumental in this voter registration drive, I think his legacy, especially here at Huntington, has inspired a lot of kids.”

If you’d like to register to vote, click here!

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