AP Government Students Alyssa Aunspaugh and Melissa Stockwell ventured to our state capital, Jefferson City. on Tuesday, March 6to work on passing a legislation that allows 17 year olds to vote in the Primary Election if they will be 18 by the time of the general presidential election.

“We were chosen to go on the trip by completing and submitting an application to Mr. Gates, our AP Government teacher. Then after he processed through all of the applications he found ours the most applicable and he chose us,” Junior Melissa Stockwell said.

Once the girls had been chosen, they had to prepare what they would testify.

“We were testifying for a committee and trying to convince them to pass our bill in front of the entire House of Representatives,” Junior Alyssa Aunspaugh said.

The bill  states that 17 year olds who will be 18 by the first Tuesday in November when the  General Presidential Election will be held should be able to vote in the Primary Elections even if they are only 17.

“We testified in front of the entire Missouri House of Representatives and then got to meet Senator Ridgeway,” Stockwell said.

Once they testified, the girls got to spend the rest of the day touring our State’s Capital.

“After we testified, we got to go on a lot of really cool tours. We went and toured the Supreme Court Building, the Capital Building and even the Governors Mansion,” Aunspaugh said.

The junior’s day at the capital provided a purposeful learning experience.

“The entire project was a once in a lifetime experience. I learned a lot, met a lot of new people, saw some interesting things and got to participate in something which would help to change the role of 17 year olds in Missouri,” Stockwell said.