By Staci Jones | The Selma Times-Journal

In celebration of the 50th birthday of the Voting Rights Act, The Selma-Dallas County Friends of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail will host two days of events.

One of the major events that will take place during the celebration is a youth mock election.

Dallas County children from grades sixth through 12th will be given the opportunity to vote on issues relatable to them. Real ballots and real voting machines will be used to tally the opinions.

“The questions will ask things that they can relate to, like ‘Would you have a summer job?’ ‘What are some of the activities you like to do?’ We ask these questions so that the youth can make their voices known during the election,” said Brian Gosa, event chairperson.

Gosa says that the responses from the voters will be reviewed by his organization, The Selma Project, and that they will put things in place to address the issues children bring up.

One of the main reasons that Gosa says a youth election was planned was to better prepare the youth of Dallas County with skills they will need in the future.

“You can’t vote until you’re 18. That means that you go through the majority of your youth not knowing anything about it. The mock election will allow them to familiarize themselves with the process so that when their time comes, they will know what to do,” Gosa said. “We want the youth to know that their voice is important.”

The youth election will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at the Dallas County Courthouse from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Registration is currently open.

In order to register for the Youth Election, students can visit the site at www.selmafriendsvrt.com, complete a mobile registration by texting #VOTE50 to 46786, pick up a registration form from a local radio station, or complete on-site registration the day of the event.

The first 100 students to register for the event will receive a free back to school backpack.