West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner interacts with students at Parkersburg High School Wednesday after speaking to them about the importance of being involved in the political process and registering to vote. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — Getting young people involved in the political process was the focus Wednesday of West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner’s visits to two area schools.

Warner appeared at Parkersburg High School and Wood County Christian School to talk to students who will be of voting age for the 2026 general election about the need to register to vote and be active participants in the political process.

“We have been to 25 high schools in the last six weeks, and we have registered over 2,000 West Virginia high school seniors,” he said. “This gives them the opportunity to ask questions. We were also able to address how important it is to register to vote and to vote.”

Warner said that when citizens exercise their right to vote, whether that is Taylor Swift or President Donald Trump or one of the eligible high school seniors who registered Wednesday, everyone gets one vote.

“We are all equal in this country,” he said. “When we all go to the ballot box, we all have the same rights and opportunities.”

West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner speaks Wednesday at Parkersburg High School to members of the senior class about the importance of voting and being involved in the political process. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Warner did not mention his Republican party affiliation during his talk. He told students he wasn’t there to try to convince them which party to support. He urged all of them to do their own research, read the different platforms and choose one that matches with their values and beliefs.

Warner talked about his time as a page in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., when he was a senior in high school carrying messages back and forth for various lawmakers.

“I understood how important the work was being done in the U.S. Congress,” he said. “When I came back to the state, I understood the importance of the West Virginia Legislature.”

Warner said he prefers the more grounded approach to government in West Virginia than what he saw in D.C.

“I have decided to keep my focus right here in West Virginia,” he said.

Alisha Cross, chief election deputy clerk for the Wood County Clerk’s Office, takes voter registration forms from students at Parkersburg High School Wednesday. West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner spoke to the students about the importance of voting. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Wood County Clerk Joe Gonzales, whose office maintains the county voter rolls, said they want to get young adults involved in the election process.

“We want them to understand how it works and let them know that it is their right to vote and for them to pick their candidate and to choose who they think will do the best job, whether it is on the national level or the state, county or city level.

“We want them to know that we really want their input.”

Officials also urged students to become poll workers. Wood County has 307 poll worker positions to fill.

“We are trying to get younger people involved to understand the process and meet the candidates and do their civic duty,” Gonzales said.

Parkersburg High School senior Addison Rosebery hands in forms to register to vote to Alisha Cross, chief election deputy clerk in the Wood County Clerk’s Office, during a visit to the school by West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

Alisha Cross, chief election deputy clerk for Wood County, said they had 35 high school seniors who had registered to vote before Wednesday and 135 who handed in their paperwork during the event. The clerk’s office will process those forms and do address verification. If everything is approved, the students will be sent their voter registration cards following the 10-day process.

PHS Principal Jason Potts said he is proud of the seniors who came to the event Wednesday.

“They are very civic-minded,” he said. “They were very attentive, listened and asked great questions.”

There was a goal to have 85% of the senior class registered to vote.

“We are not quite to our goal yet, but we are two-thirds of the way there,” Potts said. “We are moving in the right direction.”

West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner talks with Parkersburg High School seniors Wednesday at an event held at the school to emphasize the importance of voting and being involved in the political process. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

He said he appreciated Warner taking the time to talk to the students Wednesday.

At Wood County Christian School, Warner spoke to 18 seniors and a number of juniors, said Executive Director Shane Hostutler.

He said was grateful to Warner for coming and for students to be able to put a face to someone in state government who impacts state policy

“It was wonderful to have Secretary Warner come to the school and for the students to have that personal interaction,” Hostutler said. “I think that was invaluable.”

Hostutler said it is continually important to get young people involved in the political process.

West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner speaks to students at Wood County Christian School Wednesday about the importance of voting. (Photo Provided)

“Their vote counts just as much as mine,” he said. “The power of their vote is just as important.”

Gonzales said five students registered to vote and one who did the pre-registration paperwork from Wood County Christian School. Students can register to vote if they will be 18 by the 2026 general election.

Hannah Parsley, 17, a junior at Wood County Christian School, said she was able to fill out the registration paperwork Wednesday. She said the more she is able to learn about the voting process now, the more comfortable she will be when the time comes for her to cast her ballot.

“Young people are honestly the future,” Parsley said. “The main takeaway I got was how important it is to vote. There really is no such thing as a useless vote and that every vote really matters.”

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com.

West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, center, gathers with Parkersburg High School students for a group photo. Warner spoke to seniors Wednesday about the importance of being involved in the political process by voting. A number of students were able to fill out the paperwork to register to vote. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)