The Issue: Many students who cannot vote in the 2016 election may feel there is no reason for them to pay attention or get involved.
Our Stance: Paying attention to current election is key to becoming an informed voter later.
By Anthony Cardellini ’17 & Andrew Howard ’17
THE ROUNDUP
For most Brophy students, the question of who they are voting for come Nov. 8 is not a relevant one.
Except for about half of the senior class, students will be sitting on the sidelines when the vote for the next president is held.
Some students see this as a reason to ignore the current election cycle, saying that they will follow along once they receive an actual ballot.
However, the inability to vote should not be used as a justification to distance one from paying attention to what is happening in the world of U.S. politics.
First and foremost, the next president of our country will make decisions that will affect all of us, not just those who are 18 and older. This should be reason enough for one to get educated on the policies of the two major candidates.
Second of all, nearly all Brophy’s current students will be eligible to vote in the next presidential election.
The longer we put off getting educated on political matters, the harder it will be to pick it up come 2020.
All of us agree that democracy is dependent on a well-informed electorate. We must do our jobs as citizens to become well informed.
However, part of the issue with this is learning the best way for you specifically to understand what is happening in the political world.
For some of us, reading articles is the best approach. Others may find it easier to watch live coverage of political events such as rallies and debates. Still others may only have time to get their political news from social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
Determining which way works best for our individual schedules takes time, which is why it’s important to get informed sooner rather than later.
Finally, by listening to what each candidate has to say, we can form our own opinions on who we believe should be the next leader of our country.
Not being able to vote does not mean our opinions can’t have an influence on the outcome of the election.
There are countless opportunities for students to get involved politically, whether it’s as simple as joining the Teenage Republicans or Young Democrats or as extensive as interning for local campaigns or attending presidential rallies in Phoenix.
Our generation’s beliefs will have a major effect on the future of American politics. By paying attention now, we can begin to form our opinions on issues and begin to grasp the way the political process works in our country.
So the next time you find yourself reading sports or pop culture news, consider browsing political articles or turning the television to election coverage. It may not result in an informed vote in 2016, but it will create habits that will lead to informed voting for years to come.
