On October 24, 2017, Middletown High School North’s Government, Law and Public Policy Pathway (GLP3) hosted the Monmouth County Clerk, Christine Giordano Hanlon.  The presentation was the first seminar in a ten part series that the group will be conducting during the current school year. This program offers unique opportunities for the Middletown North student body. According to GLP3 Coordinator Jon Scala, the pathway is a great way of introducing students to a variety of important leadership fields. “The purpose of the GLP3 is to provide the best and most dedicated of our students with an opportunity to take the first steps on a life long journey to become leaders in our society.  I believe starting our seminars with Clerk Hanlon from the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office lays a great foundation of leadership in government”.  Clerk Hanlon was very informative and explained to the students the role of the Monmouth County Clerk’s office and the impact that voting plays in society and the future of America.  

Throughout Clerk Hanlon’s presentation, she presented valuable information and statistics that took some students by surprise.  Middletown North Junior Lydia Gallagher was stunned by the voter turnout percentages for Monmouth County.  “ I was in complete shock of how low Monmouth County’s voter turnout was in 2015”.  Lydia was referring to the 22% turnout rate that was viewed as an extremely low number.  Clerk Hanlon pointed out this statistic and explained the role that her office is playing in trying to combat the problem.  “Our office has been committed to increasing this number through promoting voter registration, mail-in ballots and promoting the new Monmouth County Votes App” stated Hanlon.  The free mobile app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and provides citizens access to a variety of information in reference to elections and voting.  The app allows users to access numerous forms and voter registration information.  The app also allows for users to locate their polling location, view ballots and final election results.

Students were definitely intrigued by the app due to the high dependency on technology and smart phones in all facets of life.  Middletown North Junior Sean Polanco is looking forward to downloading the app, “I am always using my phone for following politics, so to have something that gives me instant and easy access to my local government is a cool thing.  I also think most students are not aware of this type of information and I believe that plays a role in seniors not voting at the polls.  If students have more awareness of information regarding voting, voter turnout rates would probably increase”.

Throughout the presentation, Clerk Hanson also discussed the role of data in today’s society and the impact it plays during the voting process.  “Everything we do today is based on data.  Data is collected in everything that we are a part of in today’s world” stated Hanlon.  Clerk Hanlon pointed out how data is used and how it impacts all areas including education, business, healthcare and politics.  The Middletown North Government, Law and Public Policy Pathway students felt that this was a great seminar and the information and resources that Clerk Hanlon provided were informative and insightful. GLP3 coordinator, Jon Scala stated that today’s presentation by Christine Giordano Hanlon was very beneficial and that he could see that his students were definitely interested in the message that was being delivered.  “Clerk Hanlon definitely opened eyes today and I believe the creation of the Monmouth Votes App will definitely contribute to more interest in politics by the student body”.   

The next GLP3 presentation is scheduled for November and throughout the year seminars will include lawyers, politicians, police officers, reporters, public servants, FBI agents, environmental advocates, public health officials, economic developers, and members of the military.