Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon will visit high school students in Detroit Lakes on Friday, February 20. He plans to spend time in social studies classrooms and meet one-on-one with students as part of his effort to connect directly with communities across Minnesota.
During his 11 years in office, Secretary Simon has made it a priority to visit all 87 counties regularly. In a recent press release, he said, “With each visit, I gain new perspectives, insights, and ideas on the challenges and opportunities facing our state. I’m grateful to everyone who has opened their doors and taken the time to meet with me and my team.”
In Minnesota, voting is run locally, and communities will soon be looking for people to help staff polling places. The work is paid, and nearly 30,000 residents are needed during a statewide vote. Students ages 16 and 17 can also participate as election judge trainees. They receive training, are paid for their work, and gain firsthand experience in the election process — a chance to learn about voting and civic engagement while earning money at the same time. More information is available at mnvote.gov.
Simon’s schedule this week includes a community conversation Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at M State in Detroit Lakes, with soup served beforehand. On Friday, he will meet students and community members at New York Mills auditorium at 2 p.m., and then visit Frazee High School to round out the day.
Story by Karen Downing