High school students should vote in the Nov. 8 midterm election to make their voices heard

Editorial By Sophia Young
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff––
As a young person, it is easy to feel powerless against politicians, especially in times when we are fighting issues as significant as the right to maintain bodily autonomy, raging climate catastrophes and recurring mass shootings.

The impact of policy making continues to increasingly affect citizens of high school age. The right to reproductive freedom and increased arts and music funding in public schools are just two of many decisions that high schoolers of voting age have the power to influence.

In order to have a say in issues that affect them directly, students that are 18 should register to vote and students who are 16 and 17-years-old should pre-register to vote.

Government teacher Bill Williams makes his first assignment of the year a link for voter registration. “In California it’s really, really easy. You just go to the website. When you’re 16 or 17 you can pre-register. If you’re 18, you register, it’s as simple as that,” Williams said.

Voting is a fundamental right that is integral to the success of a functioning democracy.

“It is everybody’s chance to directly participate in democracy and make your voice heard,” Williams said.

Although the upcoming Nov. 8 election is not a presidential election, the candidates and propositions on the ballot are equally as important.

Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court of the United States, the right to an individual’s bodily autonomy is under threat.

Proposition 1 on the Nov. 8 California ballot gives individuals their fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which includes the right to “choose to have an abortion and the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives” as stated on the Official Voter Information Guide.

It is in times like these that young people need to step up and take control of the legislation that directly affects them and has the chance of affecting them for many years to come.

“Younger people need to band together to try to get the legislation that we want that would benefit us passed,” senior Galen Lowrie said.

The right to abortion and to use contraceptives would be explicitly added to the California Constitution.

“Proposition 1 is consistent with existing state rights to privacy and equal protection and would ensure that regardless of who or what party controls the government or the courts in the future, a person’s right to an abortion is protected in California,” says the Yes on Proposition 1 coalition website.

“This is one of the biggest opportunities for the state government to protect its people like it should, and they need our support,” senior Kelsey Huntington said.

Proposition 28 moves to provide additional funding for arts and music education in public schools. An education enriched with arts and music has been proven to significantly impact a student’s academic experience and wellbeing.

In a 2019 trial of 10,548 students, the Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research found that education in the arts led to “reductions in disciplinary infractions, increases in compassion for others and improvements in writing achievement.”

“Prop 28 is so very important, especially seeing how the middle schools bands got taken out recently,” senior RobbyMoe Reeves said. “Art is a crucial component of developmental growth and I can’t see why anyone would want to take away from that.”

“We have a voice to tell the younger generation and our peers to continue supporting the arts with our votes,” Reeves said.

While voting on propositions is influential, voters in the upcoming election also have the chance to impact important legislation in years to come by voting for senators and a governor.

“Voting is the best way that people can have their beliefs reflected by their government,” Lowrie said.

The power to elect leaders who support your beliefs can lead to the putting in place of a federal law that will protect the aspects of life important to you.

“Show the younger generation the power of the vote,” Huntington said.

“Same Day Voter Registration” is avalaible at all voting centers. For more information about voting center locations in Yolo County, visit www.yoloelections.org.