-Submitted photo
St. Edmond students Carlee Ravtanen, Jillian Cosgrove, Sean Newell and Jack McEvoy register to vote on top of the Iowa Constitution during a school trip to the Iowa Capitol building in Des Moines and the Secretary of State’s office.

A group of government class students from St. Edmond High School toured the historic office of Secretary of State Paul Pate, accompanied by teacher Mike Szalat.

The students were provided an informational tour of the office by Secretary Paul Pate’s staff, which included examining the original handwritten Iowa Constitution, exploring the Capitol’s three-story vault and learning about the rich architectural history of the Iowa Secretary of State’s Capitol Office

“Iowa has one of the most impressive state capitols in the country,” said Pate. “It is a historical treasure all Iowans should visit.”

Some of the students also performed one of the most important civic duties of their lives by registering to vote for the first time.

The Secretary’s Capitol Office is open for public tours on weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., separate from or in conjunction with a State Capitol Tour. For more information, visit http://www.sos.iowa.gov.