HONOLULU (KHON2) — Close to 14,000 students from public and private schools across the state weighed in on key policy issues in the Kids Voting Hawaii process this year.
Students ranging from kindergarten to the 12th grade answered questions regarding lowering the voting age, moving to an elected Board of Education, addressing the climate crisis and providing more social-emotional support for youth.
The ballot questions were developed by various student organizations and differed for elementary and secondary students. Responses varried by grade level, school and complex, but secondary students across Hawaii expressed a strong consensus on various topics.
On the importance of raising the minimum wage, 83% of secondary students voted ‘YES.’
In regards to providing more social-emotional support for students in school, 90% of secondary students voted ‘YES.’ A total of 92% of students in the same age group also voted ‘YES’ on providing more emergency shelters for youth.
The strongest consensus among secondary students — 93% voted ‘YES’ — supports creating school lunches that reinforce sustainability efforts by using local food and creating less waste.
Kids Voting Hawaii aims to encourage all of Hawaii’s keiki to vote at an early age in the hopes that they will become engaged citizens as adults.
For more information on the Kids Voting Hawaii initiative, click here.
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