There have been numerous events over the course of the year that have sparked youth involvement in politics. This trend was able to hit home when Pleasant Valley High School had the Scott County auditor, Roxanna Moritz, come during the lunch shifts on Oct. 17 to register students who were eligible to vote.
In Iowa, 17 and a half year old students can pre-register to vote if they will be 18 years old by the next election. This law provides enough demand for voter registration opportunities in high schools. Students across the state have taken advantage of this law as their political activism has increased.
Vashi Chintalapalli, senior and lead representative for the Quad City chapter of March For Our Lives, commented, “We expect voting to be this lengthy process of a detailed registration followed by an extensive ballot procedure, which is not the case. Voter registration is quick and easy.” Chintalapalli added, “Having it as an opportunity at schools is one less thing we have to do in our free time.”
However, as politics are, having voter registration in schools has found itself to be a controversial topic amongst the student body. “I worry that voter registration in schools is often used as a way to increase voter turnout for one party,” senior Rian O’Hanlon pointed out. “For example, young people are more likely to vote for a Democratic candidate, so the Democratic party is more likely to fund voter registration for young people. In turn, the Republican party is more likely to fund registration in a place where right-leaning individuals are likely to register. It goes both ways.”
Though some may describe it as an empowering event, some students thought the process could have been improved. “I think that vote registration in schools had a positive impact on students, but it could’ve been better,” stated senior Trinity Malmen, criticizing the way the event was held. “Maybe if we incorporated it into the classroom [instead of lunches], people would pay more attention,” Malmen added.
While students seem to be more active in the political world than ever, the only thing that can truly enact the wishes of constituents is voting. Students are beginning to see the importance of making their way to the polls and offering voter registration within our high school is just getting them started.
