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First-Time Voters At VHS

Writer's picture: Daisy JonesDaisy Jones
VOTE. With the 2024 presidential election coming up, senior pirates at VHS are preparing to vote. Drawing courtesy of Katie Deloach.
VOTE. With the 2024 presidential election coming up, senior pirates at VHS are preparing to vote. Drawing courtesy of Katie Deloach.

According to the New York Times, less than half of 18 to 29-year-olds vote in presidential elections, which is the lowest number of voters from any age demographic. But with the presidential election right around the corner, it seems that seniors at VHS are beating the odds.

“The only people I know that aren’t voting are the ones that aren’t going to be 18,” senior Neve Devoght said.

There is a small number of students who are already 18 or turning 18 before the election, and these seniors are exercising their right to vote. Some of them believe that voting in Washington is a crucial matter while others feel that it doesn’t matter quite as much.

“It’s really important to vote because we have a democracy for a reason, and if you want a choice in any of your own decisions or anything in the future, you should definitely vote,” senior Morgan Godwin stated.

Students are also voting because they have strong feelings about one candidate over the other.

“Why do I think it’s important to vote? Because I don’t want Trump to be my president again,” senior Grace Abner said.

Other voting seniors believe their vote doesn’t hold as much importance due to the electoral college.

“I think that because of the electoral college, some votes have less power than others,” senior Lorien Buffington commented.

They believe this because Washington is a blue state, meaning that the majority of the votes go to the Democratic Party.

“In Washington state, all of our electoral college votes are gonna go to Kamala Harris anyway, but if you’re in a swing state your voice has an active sway over who is gonna be elected,” senior Eban Tracy explained.

When considering the two candidates, there are many qualities senior voters take into account.

“I like to look at if they have good experience in politics, if I think that they're competent, respectful, and a good representation of America,” Buffington said.

Other students prioritize whether the candidate has the country's best interests in mind.

“I consider a candidate that has my best interests, and everybody I love’s best interests at heart and is for all the people, rather than just a certain demographic of people,” Godwin stated.

Another factor to take into account is how the presidential candidates treat the struggling members of society.

“I like a candidate who prioritizes the needs of, you know, struggling people, a candidate who cares about social reform and equity for all,” Tracy said.

Before casting your vote, educating yourself about both of the nominees is critical. So where do our seniors receive their news about the election?

“I usually watch all of the presidential debates, so I like to hear about candidates' policies directly from them, rather than from other sources,” Buffington stated.

Others read up about the election online.

“I read online articles from both CNN, MSNBC, and Fox because I know that a lot of news corporations are very biased when it comes to this election, and I like to see both sides of the story,” Godwin said.

Reading about the election can even be as easy as scrolling on your iPhone.

“I’ll go to Apple News on my phone and swipe left to go to politics. I'll read up on policies that a candidate is choosing to back,” Tracy said.

Seniors at VHS are weighing the importance of different presidential qualities, and receiving reliable news about the election, in preparation for casting their vote.

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