A Youth Voter Summit planned for Tuesday will be the first of its kind in Wyoming. The summit is being held in response to low voter turnout by young residents.
The summit will include voter registration, panel discussions and a number of speakers, including Governor Matt Mead and Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner.
Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray said Wyoming currently ranks in the bottom ten states when it comes to youth voter turnout. Less than 11 percent of 18 to 24 year olds voted in the 2014 General Election. Murray said efforts like the summit will hopefully foster better turnout in the upcoming election.
“There’s so much at stake,” Murray said. “And it’s just critically important for our youth and all of our electorate to become fully informed and to go out and cast a vote. Their vote matters.”
The summit is October 4 from 10 to 4 p.m. at the University of Wyoming’s Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. Admission is free and the event will be open to the public.