In a democracy, voting is the cornerstone of citizen engagement; yet, for many first-time voters the path to the ballot box is daunting. As local and presidential elections occur, it is crucial to explore how we can support and empower new voters inside and outside of the Poly community.
First-time voters represent the future of America’s democracy. They bring fresh perspectives to the table which shape the direction of our nation. However, navigating the complexities of voter registration, understanding ballot initiatives, and having a strong political IQ can be a challenge.
According to a New York Times article called “Why Don’t Young People Vote and What Can Be Done About It,” when young people are politically engaged earlier in life, they are more likely to remain engaged in the future and be part of an electorate that is more representative of the country. In the 2020 presidential election, 50 percent of people – ages 18 and 19 – voted, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
In The Daily Bruin article, “Why is youth voter turnout so low, and how can it be improved?” a Junior at UCLA said, “There’s no doubt that there’s a widespread myth that people’s individual votes don’t matter, especially in places where the population sways largely one way politically…It’s also hard to make students care about other things that they might not see the direct impact of, especially because we are all so busy and preoccupied.”
Poly alum Tristan Kelley ’24 expressed earlier this year that “No candidate’s plan feels accessible or clear. In the CNN showdown between Trump and Biden this year, their answers on anything useful were overshadowed by irrelevant personal attacks. Biden vs. Trump seemed like a senile vs. evil disenfranchised felon which makes my peers and I resistant to participate at all.”
Kelley later expressed in an email that he feels the age gap between presidents and young people “makes believing in them hard. They also seem to say little about teenager-relevant problems such as issues such as school safety [from school shootings and threats], higher education funding, or mental health.”
“All of the information I have on either candidate comes from more focused research which teens may not care to or know how to do,” Kelley continued. “The more digestible ads, news reports, and social media coverage of the race that I’ve seen focuses more on how much Kamala was able to raise, or Trump’s latest racist comment, but nothing about their plans for the country.”
What is Poly doing?
According to Michal Hershkovitz, the assistant head of school, academics, Poly conducts voter registration drives and has a curriculum that’s geared towards learning about how our government works and understanding the structures of our nation. The history department recently developed a new civics class, American History and Civics, that is mandatory for all 11th-grade students to ensure they are educated on the creation of the government and are prepared to take part in democracy when they reach eighteen.
Sacha Mendelson ’25 is interested in getting the Poly community civically engaged. Mendelson led the service learning team that organized Poly’s voter registration drive and created a pamphlet that outlined all the ways you can register or pre-register to vote. She said the best way to encourage students to vote is by “discussing social issues, trying to outline government as a tool that can mobilize social movements and posing voting as an opportunity to get things you’re passionate about done.”
Natalya Muchinsky ’24 registered to vote at Poly’s voter registration drive last school year. She explained that while she took the initiative on her own to register at the DMV, living in a politically conscious household made her more inclined to vote. “I am always encouraged to form my own opinions,” Muchinsky said.
“If less than two-thirds of eligible seniors plan to vote on election day, has Poly done a good enough job of emphasizing the importance of our democracy and the weight that this election has?” Lila Daniels ’26 asked in a Polygon opinion article from the May issue titled “The Next Generation of Voters: Are They Ready?”
“Voting is hard in the United States,” Hershkovitz said, noting that oftentimes “information is not easily accessible” if one is not particularly motivated.
Head of the History Department Virginia Dillon said Poly plans on doing a voter information drive during the fall for all students in hopes to better inform people on local elections. Her advice for first time voters is “it’s ok to walk in confused” and “don’t be afraid to ask questions, everyone there is happy to help you.”
Beyond Poly
In the past, to help motivate young voters, The Brennan Center for Justice launched a ‘We Will’ campaign in 2012 that registered 1.5 million voters in time for the election. Rock the Vote, a non profit organization that promotes civic engagement among the younger generation, also had “a bus tour that is hitting college campuses across the U.S. promoting voter registration. It features musical acts and celebrities.”
Patrica Henry is a retired New York Supreme Court justice and participated in letter-writing campaigns through the program Vote Forward. As a volunteer for Vote Forward, she focuses her efforts towards battleground states, by reminding people to vote through mail and phone calls. Henry feels that certain challenges prevent people from voting depending on the state you live in. She has found that “language barriers, inconvenient voting times and locations, requiring proof of citizenship and not having enough polling stations” are all reasons that decrease voter turnouts. She continued that “while some states make it easier for voters to cast their ballot, others make it more difficult.”
Various organizations are continuing to look for a solution to these problems. The Center for Tech and Civic Life suggests more creative and fun competitions such as “holding sticker design contests” and “high school voter registration challenges.”
Along with the resources provided to students at Poly, there are plenty of online resources such as the National Association of Secretaries of State, NYC Board of Elections, and the U.S Vote Foundation, which all provide helpful information on any questions you may have in regards to how voting works. If students are looking to educate themselves on the candidates before voting, Dillon recommends Ballotpedia, Local News, and The New York Times.
“It’s so important not only that we who have the right, the privilege, and the opportunity to vote, but also that we ensure all Americans have the opportunity to vote. I can’t think of anything more important,” said Hershkovitz.
