On Nov. 5, voters will cast their final ballots and anticipate the outcome of pressing federal, state and local elections.
According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), there are an estimated eight million youth who will be eligible to vote in this year’s presidential election after the midterm elections in 2022. Among those newly eligible, seniors Chase Fontenot and Lauren Hafner are choosing to register and vote this year.
“This is a very important election,” Hafner said. “[We’ve] never had any other opportunity to voice [our] opinions, and this is the first time where voicing your opinion actually does something.”
Early voting began on Oct. 21 and will end Nov. 1. Aside from the presidential election, this year includes voting for Texas’s representatives, supreme court judges, and senate. Locally, it consists of elections for LISD’s board of trustees, Wilco’s sheriff and attorney.
“As a student, I think the school boards are very important because that’s directly affecting me,” Fontenot said. “While the railroad commissioner might not [impact me], someone on the school board definitely will.”
Voting locations are in accessible public spaces, such as schools, recreational centers, churches and hotels. When one reaches the ballot box, they are not allowed to use their phone during the process. Instead, they can reference notes or printed materials that were brought with them.
“[If more young people voted], I think we’d have a more equal democracy where everyone is letting their opinion, whatever it may be, be heard,” Fontenot said. “Which is definitely important because everyone doesn’t vote.”
Williamson County’s official website offers individuals the opportunity to view a sample ballot tailored to their geographical location.
“There were so many things on my ballot, other than just presidential candidates,” AP Macroeconomics and economics teacher Meghan Pilewski said. “I remember going through and realizing I was so unprepared for that first vote because I only thought I was voting for president.”
According to Pew Research Center, roughly two-thirds of the voting-age population participated in the 2020 presidential election.
“I think back to our history as a country,” Pilewski said. “It hasn’t been a default that everyone has been able to vote. [We’ve] progressively tried to expand the right to vote for people, to give more of a voice. It’s really hard to feel like you participate in a society, whether the economy or the government, if you’re not able to have a voice in that, so voting gives you another way to voice your opinions.”
Students were given the opportunity to mail and verify their voter registration forms through the school. In the classroom, Pilewski advocated for voting by providing students with election information, reminding them about deadlines, and reviewing their registration forms before they’re sent out.
“I make sure I discuss it with kids more often,” Pilewski said. “[By] bringing it up, letting them know upcoming topics [and] elections that are happening, hopefully [they] will actually get involved.”
Each government and economics class had voter registration forms they could offer to students. Additionally, some of those classes gave students the opportunity to view a voting guide by the League of Women Voters (LWV). LWV provides a bipartisan voting guide for each election, including summaries and Q&As with election candidates and explanations of commonly debated topics.
“I think everyone deserves a voice,” Pilewski. “I do think voting gives you the best opportunity to actually give your input. It doesn’t always work the way you want it to, but it gives you a chance to kind of give your side of it [and] advocate for things you really want. Go vote! Vote early!”