Students at a public high school helped operate an early-voting site inside their school as part of a civic initiative. Dozens of students were trained and certified as election judges through the Defenders of Da’mocracy program, taking responsibility for checking in voters, issuing ballots and helping administer the voting process. Eligible students and school employees also cast ballots at the site. Created by the Cook County clerk in partnership with the Chicago Bears, the program expanded to 27 suburban high schools in 2026. A previous iteration trained 126 students at 24 schools and recorded 1,136 voters, many of them students. The initiative combines easier voting access with firsthand instruction in how elections are administered
Why It Matters
The students were not merely studying democracy: they performed an essential, nonpartisan role in administering an actual election. Serving as election judges gives young people practical experience with voting procedures, legal safeguards and the responsibilities required to make elections function. Locating early voting in schools may also make participation more accessible and familiar to first-time voters. At a time when election administration is frequently misunderstood or distrusted, firsthand experience can help young people understand that elections depend upon trained community members carrying out detailed public responsibilities.