In the Nov. 2000 election, 32.3 percent of all 18 to 24 year olds in the United States voted, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That percentage is the lowest for the age group since the Census began collecting population survey information in 1964.
What does this mean? Not enough young voters are participating, educators and students alike are saying. Citizens are trying to turn around that percentage by getting the younger demographic involved and educated. For that to happen, the movement must begin locally, and in area public schools, students are finding many ways to become active.
At Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood, senior Zoe Lefrancois-Hanson turned 18 one week before the primary election Sept. 14. Lefrancois-Hanson registered to vote months ago, to guarantee that she could be involved in the primary-election vote.
“I’d always wanted to have a say in our decisions,” Lefrancois-Hanson said.
She said she has been looking forward to voting in the November election, but there was one item in particular on the primary ballot that interested her. Lefrancois-Hanson’s mother works at the Mill Creek Library, so she assisted the “Yes for Libraries” campaign leading up to the primary, although she was not able to vote on the issue because it was out of her jurisdiction.
Although she doesn’t have a deep interest in politics, Lefrancois-Hanson said she knows that it’s important to follow the issues and current events, particularly as a young voter.
“We have a different opinion,” Lefrancois-Hanson said, “and it will affect us in the long run.”
Seniors at Henry M. Jackson High School in Mill Creek are required to complete a U.S. government course during their senior year, and teacher Kathy Seltzer encourages students to get involved by requiring them to spend time volunteering, watching the debates, waving signs or whatever other options best fit into their busy schedules, Seltzer said.
“We want to make sure they’re an intelligent electorate,” Seltzer said.
Bridgette Hannifin, a senior at Jackson, helped organize students to wave signs and post flyers before the primary election.
Although she also is not strongly interested in politics, she said she knows it’s important for students to voice their opinions.
“I worry about the issues affecting teenagers, like college tuition,” Hannifin said.
She hopes that politicians will recognize how important these issues are to young voters. Radhika Farwaha, another senior at Jackson, agrees.
Farwaha moved to the United States three years ago from Canada, and she won’t be able to vote in the election, but she said the decisions made by elected officials still affect her.
To get involved, Farwaha waved signs or distributed pamphlets door to door three days in a row and continues to be involved. While she could have watched televised debates and news programs to complete her class requirement, Farwaha said she’s learning more by being an active participant.
Seltzer said getting students involved in the community is one of the goals of this project. Although not all teen-agers are enthusiastic about government issues and politics, when the topic shifts to how it affects them, students often show an interest, she said.
“When you start talking about the war in Iraq and the possibility of a draft, it starts to pique interest,” Seltzer said.
Across town at Edmonds-Woodway High School, student groups have taken it upon themselves to stir up interest in fellow students.
The Junior Statesmen of America (JSA) local chapter at Edmonds-Woodway is a non-partisan group of students interested in politics, government, debate, the law and education. Led by Kendall Hamilton, the chapter president, JSA organized an election 2004 assembly for juniors and seniors last month. The club brought representatives from each of the three main political parties to the school to present an overview of the party’s platform and field questions from students.
“Students were really into it,” Hamilton said. “We actually didn’t get to ask all of our questions.”
While Hamilton provided a list of possible questions to students, they focused most of their questions on education issues and Iraq and Afghanistan, she said.
Hamilton said there has been more interest this year in the club, possibly as a result of heightened political awareness with the coming election.
But it is not only high schools in the area that are encouraging students to get educated. At Brier Terrace Middle School in Brier, teachers Janis Case and Karen Kasprzyk have organized a mock election to teach their students more about elections and how the electoral college works. Students designed ballots to match the real thing, and they will also work together to tally the votes, Case said.
“It’s bringing the real world into the classroom,” Case said.
What is all comes down to is that today’s students are the country’s future, and they need to be aware of the issues, Case said.
“Some of the eighth-graders will be voting in the next (presidential) election,” Case said. “This is their future.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
