Students get a taste of the importance of voting
October 11, 2016
The junior and senior classes attended an assembly on Monday Oct. 10 about
the importance of voting by voter education advocates from San Fernando Valley.
“We’re here because we think your voice and opinions matter,” said field director Alexandria Ramos O’Casey.
The presentation was organized by student body president Juliette Tafoya to inform students on the upcoming presidential election, pre-registration, and the mock election on Oct. 11.
Ramos O’Casey engaged with students by asking survey questions and discussing the history of voting. The speakers emphasized the importance of youth participating in politics and voting.
“If you don’t vote you are doing your country a huge disservice,” said deputy director Jose Lagunas.
In addition to presidential candidates, the California ballot contains congressional candidates in the house and the senate and 17 propositions. Local representatives often get overlooked in the presidential elections, despite the fact that real change can happen locally. As for the propositions, many people don’t have any idea what they are on.
“Local elections get such lower turnouts than presidential, most people don’t even know the names of their local representatives,” said deputy director Zhani Cohen.
To encourage the participation of youth, students were able to register to vote or pre-register if they are under 18, during the assembly. Information regarding where and how to vote was also handed out.
Although many students cannot vote this election on Nov. 8, everyone is encouraged to participate in the mock election. Students will report to their school house courtyard during lunch and cast their votes. The mock election is an important way for students to learn how the voting process works.
“We’re going to have 7 out of the 17 propositions, all the nominees for president, and the senators in the mock election,” said Tafoya.
The presentation by voter educators was a step toward increasing the participation of youth in government.
“By taking that extra step, by making your voice heard, that’s how we make changes,” said Cohen.
Here are the results of the mock election:
Illustrations by Kyrah Hunter
