The vast majority of the senior class will be able to exercise their right to vote in the 2024 election cycle. They will be able to vote for the school board, state assembly, state senate, their house representative, and even the president.
There are lots of conflicted thoughts among people about the voting age: Should it be lowered? Raised? Maybe it is fine where it is. However, the most frequent schoolwide dialogue on the issue is this: Do we really trust our seniors to vote? FM’s underclass and faculty members weighed in on this issue, and here’s what was found out.
Most faculty members had positive thoughts about seniors being able to vote in the next election. They cited that seniors were becoming adults and, as adults, trusted them to believe in why they were casting their ballot and to have a reason for their vote. However, they did stress the need for students to be well-informed before they choose to show up to the polls. Mr. Makay, FM broadcast journalism teacher, put it this way, “If someone is showing up to the polls, they’re probably informed enough because they’re showing up in the first place.”
In contrast, the underclass had more diversity in their responses. Some raised their eyebrows in shock, shaking their heads with sincerity saying, “Have you seen some of these seniors, no way!” Others nodded their heads enthusiastically and gave a big thumbs up at the prospect. Why was there such a mixed reaction? One can suspect that the underclass sees more of the dopey, typical teenage sides of the seniors, which could result in a more skeptical response than the faculty.
Regardless of the mixed responses, the class of 2024 is slowly turning into adults, meaning that they will inevitably have to vote for the next generation of leaders. It is vital for all of us to do our proper research and to consider our values before casting our ballots. After all, founding father and second US president John Adams once said, “Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right and desire to know.”
