As the Class of 2025 begins their senior year of high school, they prepare for the responsibilities of the world outside of VHHS. For some, that means registering to vote in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.

The 2024 election has been at the forefront of national news for the past 6 months. President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee at the time, dropped out of the race on July 21, 2024, and was replaced by his Vice President, Kamala Harris, who accepted the party’s nomination on Aug.22. Since then, the race for presidency between Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump has been a hot topic around the country.

“I feel like [the election] is just everywhere, and I feel like this is something so big and the impact of it is going to be so big that everyone is talking about it right now,” Clara DeSandro (12) said.

DeSandro would not describe herself as a politically active person, or someone who has been following election coverage consistently, but she mentioned that the topic of the election was something she saw a lot on her social media feed.

A presidential debate occurred on Sept. 10, giving viewers a deeper insight into the top two candidates’ campaigns and hopes for the country in these coming years.

This year also gives the opportunity for seniors who will turn 18 before or on Nov. 5, to go to the ballots and vote. However, the election is not something commonly discussed or thought about among seniors at VHHS.

According to a TSP survey of 63 seniors, 33.3% of respondents have occasionally discussed the presidential election with friends and 23.8% did not often discuss the election.

“I don’t think [talking about theelection is] a common thing in our age, because not that many people know about it yet, and some people can’t even vote yet, so it’s probably not something they’re interested in,” Kyle Magsino (12) said.

Because of this lack of discussion with friends, some students may turn to their government classes for information. Magsino mentioned that his parents are a beneficial resource for him, as well his AP Government teacher, Mr. Voss.

Brian Voss has been teaching AP Government for 16 years and is an authorized voter registrar, which means he has been appointed by District 128 and follows an oath to uphold the law and can aid students in getting officially registered to vote.

When teaching AP Government during the year of a presidential election, Voss said he incorporates the topic into his curriculum and prepares his students as best as he can. He also shares advice to all students who will one day vote.

“Make sure you know what’s on the ballots. Pull up your ballot. Do your homework. Figure out who’s on there. Figure out why. Don’t let people tell you what to vote for. You make your own decision,” Voss said.

The survey sent to seniors at VHHS showed that 71% of respondents felt it is very important for the younger genera-
tion of people, ages 18-24, to go out to the ballots and vote. Frannie Poulos (12) said she has not followed politics too closely, but is still planning to vote in this upcoming election.

“I care about how our country is run because it affects me,” Poulos said.

Despite most students in the grade not being able to vote, the results of this election are important to many.

“The fact that I can’t [vote] means that I really hope people in our grade will be able to make good decisions in voting,” DeSandro said.

DeSandro added she is upset by the fact that she will not be able to vote, because she feels that young people, such as her peers, have a significant standing in this election and can impact the results in a large way.

Voter Power Portal:

Voter Power is a resource that Voss recommends to students in order to gain a better understanding of voting. Once a student is registered to vote, they can go to this website by searching “Voter Power for Registered Voters” and enter their information. Once entered, the student will find an array of beneficial resources, such as what the ballot looks like, what locations they can vote at, and who they can vote for.

VOSS RESOURCES (for learning about voting)

– College Resource Center
– Junior State of America
(JSA) club

– Himself

REGISTRATION DEADLINES

ONLINE: Oct. 20
MAIL-IN: Oct. 8
IN PERSON: Nov. 5