Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Murray is calling for a return of civics classes to Wyoming classrooms.

Murray says recent surveys show only about 10 percent of state residents between the ages of 18-24 are voting in most elections. He says on, the other hand, Wyoming voters in their 50s and 60s "have exceptionally high voter turnout rates", pushing the overall state average up.

Murray says the low percentage of young voters in Wyoming elections, combined with the fact that roughly 60 percent of state residents between the ages of 18-29 end up moving out of state, adds up to a very low number of young people voting in Wyoming. He says that's a concern because "the youth are our future."

He says he thinks there are a lot of reasons young people aren't voting, including the breakdown of families, apathy about politics, cynicism about candidates and a general feeling that "my vote doesn't count."

But Murray says studies focusing on the "We, the People" civics program show that 93 percent of those taking the course typically vote.

Murray says he has discussed the idea of getting more civics courses in state schools with Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. saying "She seems open to the idea."

Murray also says Balow, Governor Matt Mead, and other top officials have been invited to the Wyoming "2016 Youth Voter Summit" scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the University of Wyoming.

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