HHES Students Gain Insight on Election Process from Long-Serving County Clerk

Kathy Kreag Williams, Hamilton County Clerk of Circuit Court, recently spent time educating fifth graders at Hamilton Heights on the voting and election process. This timely program gave students an insightful lesson from a seasoned public servant.

“In social studies, students have been learning about the election process including: the system of government in the United States and Indiana, methods of voting, political party structures, election laws and responsibilities of citizens,” explained Kelly Stroup, 5th Grade English and Social Studies Teacher at Hamilton Heights.

“It was an engaging and insightful civics learning opportunity for our students.”

“I learned that in order to be a candidate, you have to do many different things,” said Nolan Kakasuleff. “Another thing is that you have to register to vote, and you can do this in many different ways. Also depending on the population, the town may have more precincts. I think it is important to teach kids about voting because if they are interested in running when they are older, they will know the process.”

Ava Guffy said she learned plenty of new information about voting she didn’t know. “I learned that it is important to vote because it helps the entire country get a new and maybe a better leadership than the last,” she said. Like Kakasuleff, Guffy learned that you have to register to be able to vote and there are different ways of voting like through a paper ballot in person, online, and through the mail.

In her role, Williams serves as a member of the County Election Board and oversees the day-to-day operation of elections with the Election Administrator and Election and Voter Registration staff. It is office’s responsibility to stay up to date on election laws and best practices to run efficient and fair elections.

She also looks for opportunities to find ways to educate voters and poll workers on the entire election process and getting residents involved.

Williams served 26 years as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives, 10 years (1982-1991 and 2019-2022) as Hamilton County Clerk and has been employed by the county for over 45 years.