Many seniors at McLean will turn 18 during the school year. Several privileges come along with reaching the age of 18, and one of those is the right to vote in federal, state and local elections.
In the 2016 election, citizens aged 18-35 made up about 31 percent of the electorate, but according to NPR only about 46 percent of this electorate actually voted. Voter turnout among young people is at an all-time low, and there are several factors that contribute to these poor numbers.
One of the main reasons that young people do not often vote is that voting is not a priority in their busy lives. Eighteen-year-olds, especially during fall of their senior year of high school, are often preoccupied with sports, classes and college applications.
Senior Duncan Green turned 18 over the summer and is looking forward to voting, but he has yet to register.
“I haven’t gotten around to registering yet because of school and college applications,” Green said. “The process doesn’t intimidate me; in fact, the idea of exercising one of my civic responsibilities gives me a sense of pride.”
Green expressed his concern that 18-year-olds often do not have enough time to properly research issues and vote based on what they truly believe in.
“If I have time to do some research on the candidates then I will end up voting,” Green said. “I don’t want to vote for someone for the wrong reasons.”
Virginia is holding a gubernatorial election on Nov 7, between Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie. As it is the first major competitive election after the 2016 presidential election, this race is gaining national attention.
“The youth made a significant contribution in the presidential election last year. One would hope that this year they are not disheartened and they come out and vote again,” Dr. Rudra Kapila said. Kapila is a field organizer for Kathleen Murphy’s campaign, who currently serves in the Virginia House of Delegates.
One of the main issues the two gubernatorial candidates are discussing in their campaigns is education, and they are considering reforms that will directly impact McLean students.
Senior Spencer Lukehart noted that although 18-year-olds may not feel like they are fully adults yet, they are impacted by political decisions and thus they should express themselves through voting.
“We’re citizens, and if we want our beliefs to be expressed we need to vote,” Lukehart said.
“Especially those kids who don’t come from strong economic backgrounds, this is so crucial for them,” Kapila said. I thiunk many [18-year-olds] just dont realize how much elections will impact them.”
Senior Carolyn Brown-Kaiser recently registered to vote, and she is looking forward to election day.
“The process of registering to vote was very simple and convenient. I’m voting in the gubernatorial election because I know that as an citizen of Virginia, the governor’s policies will directly affect me.”
Virginia holds elections every yer.Although the deadline to register for the Nov 7 election was Oct 16, students can still register for next year’s elections at any time.
“[Voting ] should be a habit. You cannot take it for granted,” Kapila said. I really feel good about the 18-year-olds. I have faith in the upcoming generation.”