High school students have the chance to question a state representative candidate thanks to a group that encourages youth voting.

The forum, held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Federal Hocking High School, is sponsored by Ohio Youth Voices, said Michael Charney, Ohio Youth Voices director.

State representative candidate Debbie Phillips (D) will answer questions from the students, Charney said. Candidate Jill Thompson (R) will not attend the forum because of her work schedule as Athens County Auditor, a spokesperson for Thompson said.

Ohio Youth Voices is a nonprofit organization of high school students from across the state that works to create and to communicate a youth agenda to Ohio’s representatives, Charney said.

“The students act as MCs, giving the candidate’s background and information about the youth agenda,” Charney said, adding the students also set up a phone bank to call registered voters about election issues.

Although Ohio Youth Voices works statewide, it collaborates with the Athens-based Ohio Fair Schools Campaign, which works to promote school funding equality.

“We started with a small group of students that created the 2007 youth agenda to create changes for economic and educational success,” Charney said.

That agenda was revised a year later when more than 175 students met to create the 2008 youth agenda.

Some of those agenda items include a full curriculum, violence and dropout prevention, adjustment to the Ohio Graduation Test, increased state funding and support to young people in jail.

To help develop the agenda, Ohio Youth Voices created an interview project for high schools. In this project, students learn about candidates and issues on the ballot, interview 18- to 24-year-olds to learn about youth voting behavior and lead a news conference sharing their findings, Charney said.

“We’ve found that when students engage in this project, not only do they learn more about the issues but also the importance of voting,” he said.    

Charney added that young people often don’t vote because they either don’t see the relevance of voting or they feel alienated by politicians on all levels.

The Ohio Youth Voices’ goal extends beyond higher youth voter turnout. The organization also wants to effectively communicate its youth agenda to policymakers through candidate forums and meetings with lawmakers, Charney said.

“I definitely think Ohio Youth Voices is making a difference in students feeling like they can influence policymakers,” Charney said. “I expect the highest voter turnout in Ohio’s history since 18-year-olds were give then right to vote.”

Voters 18 and older can vote early until Nov. 1 at the Board of Elections office or on Election Day Nov. 4, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office. Absentee voters can request a ballot until Nov. 1 on the Ohio Secretary of State’s Web site.  Once absentee ballots are mailed in, they stay at the Board of Elections until Nov. 4 when all votes are tallied.

Voters who are registered in other counties in Ohio but live in Athens may vote provisionally at the Board of Elections now until Nov. 1 and on Nov. 4, according to the Ohio Secretary of State’s Web site.

— Brigitta Burks contributed to this report.