The 2023 local elections prompted many seniors to exercise their right to vote for the first time and mark a significant moment in their lives.

Seniors who turned 18 this year,  were given access to things that weren’t available or legal to do before that. The first thing that may come to mind is driving with no restrictions applied; but, for some students, voting was an activity that marked their first action as a legal adult.

Oliva Power, a River Dell Senior, chose to vote for the first time this year. When asked why, she stated, “I just went; I didn’t really care about the vote.” Olivia’s action to ‘just vote’ is popular among students her age. Most students don’t even understand what the local candidates stand for. Instead, these students vote on whatever their parents tell them to.

Oliva said, “I went with my parents who wanted me to vote.” Because of this, seniors can sway the election in specific directions by voting without knowledge of any candidate or candidate’s agendas. Oliva stated, “I see voting as a trend in our age group; people either vote to get the sticker or have a story to tell.”

Alternatively, senior Erin McCabe understood that she had no place in local elections because of her ignorance. Erin McCabe stated, “I’m registered to vote but didn’t have much of an opinion about the local elections happening nearby.” Erin didn’t vote because she didn’t know what the candidates would do for her town.

On the other hand, Erin also feels that students her age vote just for the sake of voting. Again, this adds to voting without proper knowledge. Erin mentioned, “I think voting is a statement to declare your political party; that’s maybe why people are doing it.”