KENT—When Stephanie Thomas was first elected Secretary of the State in 2023, she knew that increasing public civic awareness and engagement would be one of her top priorities.
So, Thomas was quick to respond Sept. 26 when Kent’s Registrars of Voters Therese Duncan and Sal Lilienthal held a special session for Kent Center School’s fourth and fifth graders, inviting them to Kent Town Hall to learn about their voting rights and how to cast a ballot.
Attentive and curious, the children peppered Thomas, First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer, and Town Clerk Darlene Brady with questions about voting:
“Do I have to vote?”
“Can I vote if I turn 18 one day after the election?”
“Can poll workers vote?”
“Can you vote for yourself?”
“What happens if there is a tie?”
The questions went on and on for more than 30 minutes and the adults happily answered them.
“I hope you never lose your enthusiasm,” said Thomas, encouraging the children to vote when they reach their majority, but also telling them that they can be actively engaged even now.
“Did you know that kids as young as fourth grade have testified before the [Connecticut] legislature? They wanted to make the lollipop the state candy.”
—Stephanie Thomas, Secretary of the State
“Did you know that kids as young as fourth grade have testified before the [Connecticut] legislature?” she asked. “They wanted to make the lollipop the state candy—I don’t know if that one passed. And some fifth graders wanted a particular bug to be named the state insect.”
Indeed, this past year, Jacqueline Glick, a sixth grader at Roger Ludlowe Middle School in Fairfield, promoted the lollipop on the grounds it was invented in New Haven in 1908. The Fairfield students have been pushing the legislation for four years now.
At the same time, Vernon students argued that the state’s current insect, the European Mantis, is a violent foreigner who eats pollinators. They wanted the crown passed to the native Spring Azure Butterfly or the Autumn Meadowhawk Dragonfly.
Noting that the Fairfield students had revisited their issue for four years, Thomas told the Kent classes, “It can take a long time to get a bill passed. There are about 4,000 ideas proposed each year and only about 300 bills are passed.”
Of course, not all legislative action takes place in Hartford. In response to questions about playgrounds, Thomas explained that some issues are decided locally and others at the state level.
The children asked if there is a certain percentage of votes needed to pass a question, and Thomas told them about simple and super-majority votes, which then ed to a discussion of close elections, recounts and possible runoffs.
“Once the election is done, the results come back to our office,” Thomas said, adding that the Secretary of the State keeps records forever.
“Do you want to know if Abraham Lincoln won in Connecticut?” she asked. “We have records going way back. If you have a question, you can look it up on our website.”
She explained the duties of her office, saying her job is make sure the election is done the right way. But continued engagement is needed after the election, she advised.
“We focus on civics education because we live in a republican democracy,” she said. “We elect people to represent us, but they can’t represent us unless we talk to them. So, go to your legislative bodies, whether it is here in town or in Hartford, and let them know what you want.”
Following her appearance, the children were guided through the voting process with the fourth graders casting four “yes” ballots and nine “no” on the question, “Should we stop putting animals in zoos?”
The fifth grade was almost evenly decided on whether “Schools should have dress codes,” voting 12 “yes,” 13 “no,” while adult guest were evenly divided on the question of zoos and supported dress codes 7-4.
“We had a great time,” said Duncan. “The kids were so into the Secretary of the State. She is a great speaker and so friendly. I hope they remember this forever.”
