First-time voters tell their tale

This election year will be the first of many for some CVHS students as they have turned 18 just in time to vote for our next president. These students face the tricky task of navigating the voting booth for the first time as they pick who they want for president.

There is not just the presidential ballot this year, however; voters will be able to decide on measures that have qualified for the state election, the House of Representatives, and Senate. 

Most students that are voting for their first time will focus on the presidential election as that is the most popular and exciting vote this year. With a very close race between the two candidates, it can be very exciting to pick a candidate to support for president, but some students don’t think so

Senior Brady Montgomery says that he will vote for “Chief Keef” as he does not want to support either candidate and will instead write in one of his favorite rappers on his ballot. 

Especially in a state such as California–which is an almost guaranteed win for Harris–votes for president might not seem that consequential.

Montgomery still thinks it is important for young people to vote. “Even though I don’t stand for either candidate, I am voting so I know how to vote when I actually like who is running,” he said. 

Senior Reese Elkaim “didn’t even think about voting for the other ballot measures, [because] the only thing people talk about is the president,” he said.

Senior Riley Ramirez says she will vote for “Kamala Harris this year” and plans to vote via vote-by-mail ballot. The mail-in ballots make voting a lot easier which is helpful for teens who are voting for the first time.

“Most young people are not as educated, so it is important to be educated [when voting],” Ramirez said.

As young people have not been exposed to politics as much, it can be hard to understand what to do and how to vote when first doing it. Many students do not know where to start when it comes to other elections besides the presidential because they aren’t as popular.

It will always be important for everyone to vote, especially young people as they have to deal with the consequences of the election for the rest of their lives. When things are new, they can be hard, and for students, it seems that voting offers many difficulties within its complexity.