North Fort Myers High wins voter registration challenge
North Fort Myers High School took home the win for the 2024-2025 High School Voter Registration Challenge, an annual challenge put on by Lee County Elections Center to encourage eligible Lee County high school students to register to vote.
“It was a successful school year of voter registration drives and educational presentations,” Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle said in a prepared statement. “Our team could not have achieved this without the support of the schools. As a result of this partnership, many students are now prepared to vote for the first time in next year’s election cycle.”
The first place was earned by North Fort Myers High School with 18% of eligible students registered to vote. Mariner High School took second place with 14% and Cypress Lake High School earned third place with 10%.
North Fort Myers High School also won first place in 2020.
“Our Florida DOE is committed to preparing students to become civically engaged and knowledgeable adults who make positive contributions to their communities,” North Fort Myers High School Principal Debbie Diggs said. “Winning provides reinforcement that we are doing our part to support North students in meeting this goal.”
North had 213 new registrations and another 114 who updated their existing accounts.
AICE Geography and U.S. Government Honors teacher Danielle Correia said with the support of administration, they were able to have the Lee County Elections come into the school and explain the process of registering.
“Watching the students engage with the community members and increase their civics literacy at the same time was a great opportunity and ensures that they will become great assets to our community in the future,” she said.
Mariner High School Principal Dr. Thomas Michel said they participate for education on voting rights.
“Participating in voter registration challenges provides an opportunity to educate MHS students about their rights, the importance of voting, and how the electoral process works. This knowledge is vital for informed citizenship,” he said.
There were 150 registered students at Mariner.
“All our schools that participated did a great job. By enabling our students to register and preregister to vote, we empower students to take control of their future and voice their opinions on issues that matter to them,” Michel said.
An awards ceremony will be held at the May 6 school board meeting for the first, second and third place winners.
The challenge began in 1999.
This year 12 high schools participated in the challenge from Aug. 21, 2024, through Feb. 28, 2025. Lehigh Senior High School and Estero High School did not participate. The Community Education Services Department registered 869 students who are 16 years old and older and helped 384 students update their existing voter registration records.
Last year the center began the Charter School Voter Registration Challenge, which will take place every other year. Oasis High School took first place.
“We are going to do it again for the 2026-2027 high school period,” Lee County Elections Center Community Education Services Director Juan Diez said.
He said they try to visit all the high schools every year to work with juniors and seniors.
“We send an invitation to the principals. They designate one teacher or assistant principal to organize this. We offer them cafeteria voter registration drive during lunch breaks, classroom orientation, or auditorium orientation,” he said. “They pick whatever is more convenient for them depending on their time.”
The challenge is important because it provides students with information about how elections work – the 101 on voting – in Florida with the rules, locations, and how primary and general elections work, Diez said.
“It’s basic information on voting, so when they turn 18 and can vote they know how it works and know what to do,” he said. “They can preregister, or register and don’t have to worry and (then) go to the polls to vote.”
Students who are 16 and 17 can preregister to vote in Florida. When they turn 18, the elections office mails the student their voter card. Students can then update any information, such as address, or party affiliation.
“We try to complement the high school challenge with an invitation to run their student government elections,” Diez said, which resulted in three high schools participating this year. “That way they can use the real equipment we use in elections, and they can see how elections work.”
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