 Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon paid a visit to Bemidji High School this morning to talk about the importance of getting out to vote. Secretary of State spoke to Bemidji's Advanced Placement American Government and Politics class, which has about 23 students. Along with talking about voting, he also highlighted the issues of election and cyber security. He says his office has been working hard to make sure all voter information is safe and secure. I learned really early on that you can't do this job well by just sitting in an office or in a bubble in St. Paul, so I particularly like getting out to schools, high schools and colleges because they've been a focus of the work of our office for the last few years. Trying to get good habits started early, trying to tell people about the importance of voting and how easy it really is these days to register and to vote. Towards the end of his speech, the Secretary of State opened the floor up for questions. Students then discussed their feelings about politics, both on the state and federal level. Simon even gave them his e-mail so they could continue the conversation. I thought that was what was the most important is that the kids had a chance to be heard from the Secretary of State. They got to voice their ideas, opinions, and just he reiterated the point that it's important to vote. And I think that's another good message for the kids to hear too, that as young voters it's important to get out there and vote. The Secretary of State didn't just visit Bemidji either. Earlier in the morning, he stopped by the Leech Lake Tribal Office and he also paid a visit to Detroit Lakes and the League of Women Voters in Park Rapids. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.