Secretary of State Wyman speaks to students in Sen. Karen Fraser’s Legislative Policy course at The Evergreen State College. (Photos courtesy of Jennifer Way)

Secretary of State Kim Wyman was a guest speaker for state Sen. Karen Fraser’s nuts and bolts Legislative Policy course at The Evergreen State College last Saturday. The students in this class are enrolled in Evergreen’s Masters of Public Administration degree program, many only in their first year.

The hit-home message of Wyman’s elections presentation that really shocked students was the small percentage (25.99) of registered voters who actually voted in last August’s Primary.

Michelle Heacox (left), a new student in the MPA program, participates in a simulated voting example.

Having a background as Thurston County Auditor for 12 years made Wyman a great choice to discuss the importance of elections and voting in our state, using tangible examples and interactive discussions with the students.