Voting: What’s it like?
Voting is an important part of how the United States works. Most voters only focus on federal elections, although state and local elections are also just as important. For many people, voting is a civic duty, a way for citizens to express their beliefs and voice. But, what is voting like for a first-time voter?
Five SCH seniors were asked about their experiences voting for the first time in this general election. Below are the questions and their responses:
What was your experience like voting for the first time?
Anderson Swanger – “I went with my mom and I think it was a good experience. It was nice to see people in my community running the operations and getting the experience. I also got some cool stickers out of it!”
Sam Harris – “It was very interesting because I was poll working at the time, so I had to vote by provisional ballot, which was somewhat confusing but considering I was a poll worker I was very knowledgeable on the subject anyway, so it kinda worked out. I was fascinated by how simple it was. It all moved very quickly.”
Connor Laurenman- “It was a little slow. It was at 2:30. It was a very important thing to me. It is a civic duty. I forgot to fill out the back, as I only cared about the senate races and the local races.”
Wyatt Peck – “It was pretty cool. I felt like it was a big responsibility now that I’m eighteen. Ya know, I’m coming of age and I really got to feel like an adult.”
Alex Topping – “It was cool. I did a mail-in ballot. I was actually there working the polls. It was a fun experience to do my civic duty and responsibility.”
Did you feel stressed at all voting for the first time?
Anderson Swanger – “I did not at all. There were not many voters where I went, so it was just me and a bunch of jolly, nice old people.”
Sam Harris – “I felt a little stressed because I felt like it was a very tense election. Other than that, not really.”
Connor Lauerman – “I wouldn’t say stressed, no. I did poll work, and I thought that was a stressful process. There are a lot of people who don’t have trust in the system.”
Wyatt Peck – “Not really. I went in there knowing who I was gonna vote for, and what the whole procedure was.”
Alex Topping – “No, not at all.?
What advice would you give to a first-time voter?
Anderson Swanger – “Be educated, know your stuff. If you go into it without the knowledge it kind of defeats the purpose of free will and democracy.”
Sam Harris – “I would tell a first-time voter to, just, ask a lot of questions. Be curious, take your time with the process, and enjoy it. You are taking part in your country’s democracy.”
Connor Lauerman – “Plan out your vote. Do your research on each candidate.”
Wyatt Peck – “Don’t be a follower. Vote for who you personally think is right. Do your own research.”
Alex Topping – “Do your research.”
As a new voter, how should you go about researching a candidate?
Anderson Swanger – “There are good resources everywhere. Where I did it, I used Google and read the democratic ballot, so I think I was pretty prepared.”
Sam Harris – “There is a lot of media out there that is misleading. Try to look up non-partisan sources. Cross reference. Go on more than one site. Make sure they are reputable.”
Connor Lauerman – “Go to the candidate’s page.”
Wyatt Peck – “Try to find unbiased news stations. Find neutral points of view to get both sides of the story.”
Alex Topping – “Stay with the news. Follow what is going on with campaigns and the political landscape. As a first time voter, I would say definitely vote. No matter who you vote for, you gotta vote. It’s the most important thing.”
