Cranston High School West social studies students were visited by Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore on Thursday, May 4, a day that coincidentally is the official Rhode Island Independence Day. A former educator and State Representative, Amore introduced the students to the types of things he does in his role as Secretary of State and he gave them a summary of the history surrounding voting and voting rights, pulling out his pocket version of the US Constitution along the way.

He went through the amendments to the Constitution that expanded voting rights, or as he put it, “make the lane wider,” in regards to voting, which specifically were the 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th amendments. He spoke to the students about the March 1965 five-day 54-mile march for voting rights that took place from Selma, Alabama to the capitol in Montgomery, and encouraged the students to vote, and let their voices be heard.

“You are the best hope for our democracy,” he told the students, and noted that the United States has the most secure elections in the world. “Figure out what’s important to you, your values, and why you are voting.”

He also reminded them that voting for presidential candidates is not the only election that is important, but that local elections matter too.

“A lot of people lost their lives for the right to vote,” he said. “In their honor and the tradition of democracy, it’s important to vote.”