Students who are at least 17 1/2 years old will receive the opportunity to become more politically active Tuesday, Sept 18. when Parkway West is scheduled to hold a voter registration drive.
As the midterm elections Nov. 6 near, voter turnout rates remain lower among 18-to-29-year-old voters than any other age demographic according to data from the United States Census Bureau.
“I think [registering to vote is] super important because it’s the first step to participate in politics, and it’s one of the simplest steps. Through this voter registration event, we can become one step closer to making sure our democracy is actually working and representing the people of America, especially the youth,” junior and event organizer Sabrina Bohn said. “A lot of people in high school may feel like our voices don’t matter or nobody’s listening. You don’t have to go out and protest to participate in politics. You can just go out and vote.”
Bohn arranged the event after being granted approval from Principal Jeremy Mitchell. Students are asked to bring a form of identification such as a driver’s license in addition to the last four digits of their social security number.
“I know a teacher at [Parkway] Central through Students Demand Action. That teacher started organizing a candidate forum for District Two candidates in October,” Bohn said. “Then we started talking to Dr. Mitchell and all the activities directors to organize this, and it’s actually turned out to be pretty easy. It’s happening super quickly, so I have to get [the word] out there really quickly. That’s been the most difficult part.”
