Select an issue concerning voting rights or practices and briefly tell us your thoughts about it.
Recently, I turned eighteen years old, which means I had the chance to vote in my town’s local elections and poll. I was excited that I could finally do my civil duty and have my voice heard within my community.
I went with my parents to the town hall and was even given a cupcake when I entered. However, I quickly noticed that everyone was a lot older than me. My mom was probably the closest to me in age out of everyone I saw. Partly, this makes sense since the majority of my town is composed of older people, but I still felt that younger people were not being accounted for.
Within my high school, I was the only senior to vote, even though most of us were registered to vote. Participating in local polls and elections should be more encouraged for people who are thirty years and younger.
People are encouraged to vote during the presidential election, but voting in local elections is rarely discussed. This prevents a lot of younger people from even knowing that there are local elections for them to vote in.
After voting in my local elections, I went to school the next day and asked other high schoolers what prevented them from voting. Many of them said that they had no clue that a local election was happening or that they did not care enough to vote.
Local elections should be advertised for all ages to allow everyone in the community to know about them. My community advertises town events like these through Facebook, which prevents a lot of my classmates from knowing about them.
Local communities should search for ways to broaden their advertising by using more apps or by hanging up posters in popular places around town to ensure people know about these events. If certain groups of people are kept unaware, that leads to bias in the elections and polls, which can have drastic impacts on the community.
Another way to increase voter turnout is through local high schools. Local high schools should tell students about local events, including polls and elections. On top of raising awareness, schools should also educate students on voting.
Recently, my school started requiring students to take a civics class to graduate, which other schools should do too. By teaching students how voting works, there will be a greater chance of younger people wanting to vote and being more involved in their local community.
Schools should not only focus on teaching students how to vote but also on educating students about the candidates and topics being voted on locally. This will increase voter turnout in younger generations and will also allow younger generations to make more informed decisions. If these changes were implemented, I would expect to see more younger people voting during the local town elections.