Student voters make their voice known

Students at Two Eagle River High School are in a unique position to learn real-world lessons in school.

Students eligible to vote got their first-ever experience with the electoral system Oct. 14 after teacher Jamie Stevenson helped them deliver their absentee votes. 

Stevenson transported 11 enrolled Tribal students, six of which cast their absentee ballots in the Confederated Salish Kootenai Tribal Council primary election Oct. 17. The other three students were not yet eligible to vote but are interested in the process, Stevenson said.

Because of transportation problems, the students were not able to represent their vote during the Saturday election, Stevenson said. So instead, school staff drove them to the Tribal Council Headquarters where they cast their ballots.

“Our school is a good advocate for providing transportation for civic students,” she said. “We are working with kids to figure out what it means to be the best person possible.”

The Oct. 17 election was held to narrow the running field to two candidates for each voting district. The general election will take place Dec. 12.

“All of those students happen to be enrolled in a Tribal History and Government class,” Stevenson said.

The class is a requirement for graduation and focuses on how the government operates in conjunction with the Hellgate Treaty. 

“We’ve been studying the Tribal governments as part of this class, earlier this school year, a Tribal Council member suggested we have a candidates forum,” Stevenson said.

Once the details were ironed out, the forum’s date was set.

“On Nov. 18, we will have a candidates forum at the school,” she said.

Students in class will be prepared to ask questions.

“We’ve been studying Tribal Governments as part of this class,” she said. “We are following and studying the issues that candidates are talking about on their platforms. We are also thinking about what issues are important to these students.”

Stevenson will teach the class throughout the school year.