Three High Schools Earn Colorado Secretary of State’s 2021 Eliza Pickrell Routt Awards

Denver, May 26, 2021 - Colorado young people continue to be engaged and enthusiastic about our elections as three high schools have achieved the 2021 Eliza Pickrell Routt Award for registering over 85% of eligible students to vote. This year’s winners are Cloud City High School, Crowley County High School, and Peak to Peak Charter School.

“As the nation’s youngest Secretary of State, I’m continually impressed by the dedication our state’s young people have for our electoral process,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold. “Congratulations to the students and teachers for earning the Eliza Pickrell Routt Award and for making sure their voices will be heard in our elections.”

The Eliza Pickrell Routt Award is given annually to high schools throughout the state that have at least 85% of eligible students registered to vote. This year, Crowley County High School registered 100% of its eligible seniors, while Peak to Peak Charter School has claimed the honor for the fifth time. Meanwhile, Cloud City High School earned the award for the first time.

Created in 2016, the award honors the legacy of Eliza Pickrell Routt, former First Lady and the first woman registered to vote in the state after Colorado passed women’s suffrage in 1893. As First Lady, she dedicated herself to equal rights for women and for a woman’s right to vote. Routt helped Colorado become the second state in the country to recognize women’s suffrage and the first to give women suffrage by popular referendum.

Since the award’s inception, it has been awarded 39 times to 26 different schools. For a full list of winners, click here.

For more information on how to get your school involved in the Eliza Pickrell Routt Award and the high school voter registration challenge, please click here.