“Your Vote Is Your Voice”: Trenton High Hosts Voter Registration Assembly

It was still early Tuesday morning when Trenton Central High School (TCHS) students filed into the auditorium for a special assembly in recognition of National Voter Registration Day. The program brought together civic leaders, educators, and community advocates to emphasize one central message: voting is power.

Guest speakers included Trenton Public Schools Superintendent James Earle; Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools Hope Grant; Mercer County Executive Dan Benson; Fatima Heyward, President of the Young Democrats of America; Walker Worthy, Mercer County Superintendent of Elections; Enrique Landa, Community Outreach Coordinator for the East Trenton Collaborative; and Shanique Taliaferro, Founder of Black Women New Jersey.

The event was coordinated by the TCHS student government association and TCHS teacher and At-Large Councilwoman Crystal Feliciano, who said she was inspired to create the program after joining the City Council. “We realize the need for civic engagement in our community,” Feliciano said. “We know the struggles of our kids, and we realize the power of voice. Principal Courtney has been very open to bringing in opportunities to enrich and educate our students.”

Students who attended the assembly were able to scan a QR code displayed on stage to receive school credit for participation. TCHS Principal Mary Courtney drove the message home: “Your vote is your voice,” she said. “It doesn’t do you any good to be on social media complaining. If you want to see change, you need to vote.”

Feliciano noted that she first launched the voter registration assembly last year, which drew strong participation and student interest. “I talked to Principal Courtney and told her this was something I could do, and she let me kick it off,” Feliciano recalled. “We did it last year, and it was a success.”

Why It Matters

National Voter Registration Day, first observed in 2012, is a nonpartisan civic holiday designed to celebrate democracy and encourage participation in elections. Since its founding, the initiative has helped more than 6 million Americans register to vote.

Locally, the Mercer County Superintendent of Elections reports that there are 42,592 registered active voters in Trenton and 266,525 countywide. Still, Feliciano pointed out that last year fewer than 50 TCHS students registered to vote—a reminder that overcoming apathy at home remains one of the biggest challenges in boosting civic engagement among young people.

In New Jersey, residents may register to vote at 17 years old, although they must be 18 to cast a ballot. Members of the Mercer County Board of Elections and the East Trenton Collaborative were on hand to distribute voter registration forms, discuss job opportunities with the election board, and demonstrate how to use a voting machine.

For Enrique Landa, the day’s success was clear. “It was very fruitful,” he said. “The gathering of so many political figures and activists made the messaging diverse, but unified in promoting voter registration.”

Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli added that civic participation is about more than casting a ballot—it’s about shaping the future.“Voting gives people the opportunity to not only have their voices heard, but also to make choices that impact today and tomorrow.”