You stand in line outside of the voting center with a ballot in hand, nervous yet excited to finally be a contributor to deciding who runs things as small as city offices and as big as the entire country.
Senior year brings a lot more than graduation and college to most seniors’ plates. With the majority of seniors turning or already being 18 this year, they are now legally allowed to vote; and with this year being a presidential election year, it’s more important than ever that these seniors learn and understand how the voting process works.
“Voter’s registration is basically signing up to vote,” government teacher Bryan Thomas said. “You have a card that you take with you to go and vote. You go to a local voting booth and vote for all of the issues on the ballot.”
Voting can seem very intimidating, especially for first time voters. Wondering if you made the right decision or if your vote really counts can be discouraging, but in the end, every vote counts.
“Preparing for voting was interesting for sure, especially since we had people come into our class to help us out,” senior Alvin Luu said. “I turn 18 in March, which means that I’ll be eligible to vote, but I’m still unsure whether I should vote or not. However, if I study and research the candidates, then I’ll be sure of a decision.”
Whether you are voting for the city mayor or the president of the United States, it’s always a good idea to research the candidates and what they stand for in order to make the best decision in your opinion.
“Preparing to vote has affected me by making me become more conscious of what’s happening not only in my community but also the world,” senior Annabelle Dahlberg said. “I look into news stories that interest me and try to do as much research into issues I care about. It has me being very cautious of the way I talk about certain issues.”
Voting is more than just putting a name on a ballot. Your vote helps to decide what the future of our community will look like.
“It is really great to see so many seniors registering to vote this year,” Thomas said. “Voting is so important for the younger generations. We want them to make their voices heard instead of the older generations being the only people voting.”
