The recent midterm election on November 6th marked a big day for a few students at CHS. It signified the first time that they were legally allowed to vote as active adults in society. While this was a big step for a lot of students to take, there was positive encouragement all over the school in the hopes of getting students into the polls. Announcements were made, canvas messages were sent, and posters lined the hallways all in the hope of getting students to fulfill their civic duty. K.T.R. sent out a survey earlier this month, in which 5 of the 10 responders indeed did vote in the midterm.

Reporters reached out 2 of those individuals that did vote to get their take on the election and let them briefly explain to the readers the importance of voting. K.T.R. reporters talked to Senior Talia Marshall who has taken a more serious approach than others to the activation of young voters. When asked what the importance of voting is, she responded “Voting is a right that everybody over the age of eighteen has as citizens of the United States and it is something that was fought very hard for and it is something that some people are still fighting very hard for, so if you have the right to vote you absolutely should exercise that right.”

When senior Aidan Folger was asked the same question, he responded “It’s important because it is the only way to truly have your say in how government goes anymore, although I say that with grief because I don’t think that everybody’s vote really counts anymore.” No matter what your opinion is on how the government today is run, there’s no denying that voting is a right and privilege that every American citizen who is eligible to vote should take advantage of.

The two seniors were also asked how the voting experience was, considering it was their first time and certainly not last. Marshall responded “It was really exciting, it was my first national election even though my mom has always taken me. It was extremely gratifying to finally be able to fill out the bubble on my own.” While Folger responded “I actually did absentee voting because I knew I was going to be out of town during the day of the polls being open, so in that respect it was pretty boring but all around it was a great feeling to finally be able to vote in my first ever national election.”

In conclusion, 100% of students the K.T.R. spoke with agreed that voting in the election gave them a gratifying feeling and would recommend that everyone who is able to does in fact get out there and vote.

Whether you were able to vote or not in this past midterm election, it is important to understand the true value that voting has and appreciate the fact that we will all be allowed to vote at some point in our lives. The KTR staff encourages you to let your voice be heard in this ever changing country. Voting is a way for every single American citizen to be involved in the American democracy so take advantage.