Chicago students mark first votes with downtown Parade to the Polls

Chicago high school students celebrated casting their first ballots Wednesday, Oct. 28, as Chicago Votes brought its annual Parade to the Polls to the downtown voting supersite at South State Street and West Adams Street. Fellow participants welcomed new voters with cheers, making an individual civic milestone a shared school-community experience.

The two-day initiative, scheduled for Oct. 28 and 29, was designed to bring more than 1,000 eligible students from Chicago Public Schools and Noble Schools to vote in the 2026 Illinois general election. That figure was the organizers’ goal, not a final attendance count. Chicago Votes combined music and art with nonpartisan assistance, focusing on helping young people of color feel prepared to participate.

The organization has run the initiative for more than a decade, helping students research candidates and understand how to cast a ballot. Nichole Jefferson Fields, assistant dean of students at Butler College Prep, described the outing as an extension of learning at school. She said the preparation helped students connect elections with decisions that affect their lives.

For Baker College Prep student Hester Ouedraogo, voting also represented a family milestone. She described coming from an immigrant family that sought citizenship and opportunity in the United States, and said she was happy to be part of its first generation of voters. She connected her ballot to health care and public transportation, noting that students depend on transit to get to school and home.

Other students brought different experiences to the same occasion. Jashun Lee-Hall of Baker College Prep said voting had not been a frequent topic in his household while he was growing up, and that recognizing the importance of his voice was meaningful. Butler College Prep student Kristopher Holiman said his first vote prompted him to think about helping shape Chicago’s future.

Mayor Brandon Johnson joined students on the bus ride to the polling place and said he hoped they would gain a stronger sense of their influence. The event’s focus remained on students taking their first steps as voters, supported by educators and the organization’s nonpartisan preparation.

Keyshawn Morrow of Rauner College Prep described voting as a chance to act on his concerns. For Baker College Prep student Anaiya Butler, the visit was also the start of a longer commitment: She said she looked forward to continuing to vote throughout her adult life. Together, those reflections showed how the downtown trip linked classroom preparation with a new civic habit.