(Silver City, NM, April 20, 2024) In support of the combined Earth Day and Continental Divide Trail Days event in Gough Park, Kids Vote! held an election for Cutest Gila Baby. Children were taught the basic steps to responsible voting: meeting requirements, registration, learning about the candidates, and casting their ballots correctly. Given the very young age of some of the participating voters, the process did not necessarily go in this order, but they are zeroing in on it, and that is the goal. While children voted, adults were able to register to vote at the same booth.

Volunteers Sharon Bookwalter, George Carr, Veronique DeJaeger, John Lathrop, John Song, and Frances Vasquez helped both kids and adults as was needed.

The candidates for Cutest Gila Baby were Common Raven Chick, Gray Fox Kit, and Mexican Gray Wolf Pup.

There were 59 votes cast all together. The Mexican Gray Wolf pup received a whopping 28 votes. The Gray Fox Kit had 20, and the Raven Chick had 11. These three were all cute babies, but next election we hope to have a new slate of candidates.

{Editor's Note: Thanks to Sharon Bookwalter for providing this report.]