First Time Voting
Photo from CF Greater Atlanta.
Maya Bell
On April 5th at 4:20 pm as an 18 year old, I cast my first ever vote for the Wisconsin Spring Elections. When I first came in, the vote counters started clapping for all the first time voters. As a new voter, it had never felt so daunting. It was during that time that I realized how much power the ballot truly has. When you're a senior, the first things on your mind are college and not failing school. The importance of civic duty seems like something far away.
According to the United States census, the age group of 18-24 has the lowest voter turnout with only 51.4%. According to the United States census, 2020 had the highest voter turnout of the 21st century with a percentage of 66.8 percent for people 18 years or older.
In Wisconsin, the school board elections have had a major uptick in attention. Even students that aren't old enough to vote are still participating in the political conversations. For example, students in Logan High School created a youth advocacy group called Leaders Igniting Transformation. The group helped educate students on the student board candidates along with other political issues in Wisconsin. Another example of political action in schools is in Menomonee Falls where two students have non-voting seats at the school board meetings.
Hamilton High School doesn't have as much in the way of getting involved, but it is still encouraged by the Hamilton staff. With this new school board election, this is the first one with a contested election. "We haven't really had too many contested elections. So, this is fairly new for us, that we had someone new running against the encumberment. I don't know what the impact will be. It just depends on how they vote," says Hamilton Superintendent Dr. Mielke.
Even though the school board seems like a small thing, school boards and their decisions have a significant effect on our daily school lives. With the increase in attention at school from all sides, it's more important now than ever to pay attention. One senior student, Ellie Bestor, speaks on her first time voting: "Seeing the news lately and seeing people ban books is very scary to me, and I don't want that to happen here."
During my first time voting I realized not only the importance of voting, but the importance of researching the candidates. Due to the United States changing political structure, national issues have now become local. According to ProPublica, the author states, "Voters in Wisconsin and three other states head[ed] to the polls April 5 in what are some of the nation's earliest school board elections in 2022. In a harbinger of what voters across the country will see in coming months, many of the traditionally nonpartisan school board races have become increasingly polarized."
With the increase of national politics into local spaces, our individual voices can become lost. That's why it's important to vote, so that our voices are heard, whether it's a school board election for a county or a presidential election. Your voice matters.
