By Parker Soughers
During every election year, voter registration is a large issue for candidates, especially registration for young voters. To vote, one must register to do so. The process isn’t complicated. A person can sign up at the Department of Motor Vehicles or fill out a registration form in digital or physical format.
One demographic where voter registration efforts focus are young voters, especially voters in the 18-25 age range. Many of the voters are students, as well as first time voters. Voter turnout and registration is significantly lower for this particular age. Why do campaigns focus so much on young voters? Why are they so important?
Kent Higgenbothem, an United States Government teacher at Benicia gave his insight on the importance of young voters. “Young people represent one of the largest groups of voters in the United States, yet they have the lowest voter turnout in comparison to other demographics. Young people have a voice and an opinion, and voting is a way to elect leaders with similar beliefs.” In his own efforts to increase student voter turnout, Higgenbothem has provided his own support to students.
In each of his classes, Higgenbothem provides students with the opportunity to register to vote. Each student receives a registration form that can be used to preregister for students who are not yet 18, or fully register for students who are of age. His hopes of students fulfilling their own civic duty has inspired him to do this. “Voting is part of the milestone for seniors turning 18. Today, students can pre-register as early as age 16. To support this, I wanted to promote voter education and engagement. Voting impacts every area of our lives. It is my hope that as my students graduate they understand the importance of being a lifelong voter,” he said.
Students on campus also expressed their own beliefs on the importance of voting. One student said, “I do believe that it is especially important for young people to vote because we are the future, and if you don’t vote you can be sure that no change will come.” For the students interviewed, both of them pre-registered to vote while applying for their drivers license, another avenue for students to register to vote.
Registration poses the biggest challenge for elections. However, once a person registers, the likelihood of voting in future elections increases. Both students expressed their future hopes to vote. One saying, “I voted in the past election, and I do plan on voting in every election I can despite my jaded feelings towards voting.” The other explains they will try their best to vote even if they move. “Depending on my living situation and time to re-register, if I move on now I will try my best to vote in the upcoming midterms.”
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