Oakland County, Michigan, October 21, 2008 -- Tonni Bartholomew, clerk for the City of Troy, has been recognized for her work in promoting voting among young people.

Ruth Johnson, the Oakland County Clerk and Register of Deeds, presented an award to Bartholomew during Monday night's Troy City Council meeting. Bartholomew donated hours of time to Johnson's Project VOTE, which recycled "gently used" voting machines into schools to offer children a hands-on lesson in voting.

Machines once used to elect U.S. presidents are now being used to elect student council presidents, homecoming queens and have even been used to democratically pick school field day events.

"Tonni Bartholomew is always willing to help," Johnson said.  "As busy as she is, Tonni found time to help make this project a reality, to teach kids that they can have their voice heard, that their vote counts."

Johnson initiated the Project VOTE (Voting Opportunities Through Education) in 2005, saving hundreds of voting machines - made obsolete by new federal requirements - from landfills. With the help of local clerks across Oakland County, machines were distributed and government and civic teachers were trained on how to use them.

Earlier on  Monday, nearly 750 Birmingham Seaholm High School students voted on the recycled machines as part of a mock presidential election. (Obama won, 401 votes to 297 votes for McCain.)

Earlier this year, Project VOTE received a prestigious 2008 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NACO), which recognizes the best new, innovative county programs in the country.