The Cobb County Elections & Registration booth.
With the help of the Cobb County Elections and Registration Organization, on National Voter Registration Day, students who are at least 17 and a half years old could register to vote. For many students, it was their first real step into participating in democracy. The booth was set up by volunteers who explained the registration process, answered questions, and guided students through filling out the applications. By the end of the day, dozens of students had completed their registration. For a group that often feels unheard in politics, it was a powerful reminder that their voices mattered.
“I think we all have a say and it is important for people to know that we need to be voting. We can’t just sit around and let other people do it for us. We need to have a say in how our country is run,” Emerson Freise (12) said.
High schoolers and other young adults may not see how much of a difference their vote can make.
“Your vote does count and it’s important to research the candidates that you want to elect that represents your values,” Kevin Reeves said, registration supervisor at Cobb County elections and registration. Young voters are becoming increasingly influential towards the groups at the polls.
“Your vote helps create policies and create laws for the well being of citizens in Cobb County,” Reeves said.
Many elections, especially local, are decided by slim margins. If even a fraction of eligible high schoolers register and vote, the impact could swing results. Nationally, young adults often have lower turnout rates than older voters. But when they do show up, their priorities and perspectives can push issues to the forefront – like education, climate change, etc. The booth at our school was a reminder that political conversations don’t just happen in government buildings or on the news; they start with everyday people deciding their voices deserve to be heard.
“I truly find myself when I say the pledge, ‘With liberty and justice for all,’.” Kelly Herrero, AP psychology teacher, said.
“Do I believe every single person gets the same equal justice that I might get as a white woman? No, I do not believe that, but I believe in America there is hope for that, and so I proudly say those words every day. That there is hope for those principles and priorities for everyone because if it can’t happen here, it can’t happen anywhere.”
Teachers and administrators supported the event, encouraging seniors to take advantage of the opportunity, while some used it to tie into classes learning about the government and economics.
For some, this was a chance to turn textbook lessons into real-world action. Even for the students who were not old enough yet, the event had an effect.
Underclassmen saw their older classmates stepping up, it planted the idea that their voices will matter soon too. For juniors, it was a reminder that their turn is just around the corner.
The Cobb County elections and registration organization also made sure students understood that registering is just the first step. Voting itself requires showing up at the polls, whether during early voting or on Election day. That follow-through is what turns registration into real influence.
“So I think, especially for the youth vote, that our society twenty years from now, based upon y’all’s generation…who are very much different than your parents or your grandparents generation … y’all could absolutely change the very policies that socially divide us.” Herrero said.
Registering students to vote will be a bi-annual event. The next election is on Nov. 3 and includes the school board, city council, mayor and more. Early voting began the second week of October.