While becoming an adult does come with a laundry list of trials and learning experiences, it also has its fair share of privileges. For people turning eighteen before November 5th, this means the opportunity to vote in the upcoming election.
Voting isn’t a topic frequently discussed within classrooms for those whose world is still confined to high school hallways, and your education is likely expounded in your class subject. However, recent developments in media and its use in schools have provided students with a much easier way to assuage the problem regarding a lack of student voices in the upcoming elections.
“It’s a lot- especially with a busy schedule- to get out to a polling station,” says senior Natalie Hammond. She expressed her concerns about voting but she asserted that she “doesn’t want to be another person who didn’t vote.”
“I haven’t gotten any direct information from the school in terms of voting, but there are a lot of outside organizations that I can get information about voting from,” Hammond continued.
If you are currently or will be eighteen before the election on Nov. 5th, you can easily register to vote using the ETHS Website. Visit the Community Service page on the ETHS homepage. You can use the Voter Registration informational guide provided, which will give you access to easily apply for voter registration whether you intend to register in person, online, or by mail.
“I have already registered to vote and it wasn’t difficult, “ said senior Ethan Arnold. “I think my vote will matter—–I hope so.”
Illinois also allows you to register on the day of the election. While mail-in registration is valid until a week before the election, you can register to vote in person at your local polling place on Nov. 5th.
Aside from the process of registering, seniors also collectively agreed that voting when you are eighteen is important.
“It’s a democracy,” Arnold said. “If you’re not going out to vote when you’re eligible, what’s the point?”
Hammond also agreed that the school could do more to encourage voter registration, and she resolved, along with other seniors, that voting is important.
By participating in elections, students can influence decisions that impact their lives, as well as the lives of their friends and family. When students vote, they demonstrate the power of younger voices, sending a clear message to policymakers about the importance of addressing the concerns of a younger generation. For seniors turning eighteen, voting is a strong building block in creating a more inclusive and representative democracy.
If you are eighteen or older, and interested in voting in the upcoming election, you can visit the ETHS Community Service page or learn more at ova.election.illinois.gov.
