The 2024 election is scheduled for November 5. This is the last day the American people are able to cast a vote and usually the night the winner is declared. The winner of the presidential election will be the candidate who has received the most electoral college votes.
The deadline to register to vote is coming up soon on Oct. 7. Those in Indiana who will be 18 by Election Day can register online and find places to vote at indianavoters.in.gov. Early voting begins Oct. 8 and runs through Nov. 4, the day before the election.
For some Warren Central students, this election will mark the first time they can cast a vote.
“Voting assures us that we don’t have ignorant people running our country, so I will be voting this year,” senior Janai Alexander said.
This cycle, Vice President Kamala Harris will be representing the Democratic party and former President Donald Trump will be representing the Republican party. On Sept. 10, Harris and Trump had a debate on ABC where they both discussed their policies and how they differ from one another. This debate allowed Americans to hear from each candidate themselves what plans they have for the economy and issues that affect them personally.
“Debates matter because people can always change their opinions and you want to be aware of that,” senior Rose Mary Jordan said.
Researching who one has planned to vote for is extremely important. Candidates have different ways of addressing economic issues and different priorities. One candidate may be more helpful than the other when it comes to certain issues for certain Americans. Voting should not be dependent on who a person feels everyone is voting for, but instead the person who caters towards that individual voter and things that directly affect them.
“Research is definitely important especially because you want to know what you’re getting yourself into,” junior Ethan Guerrero said. ”Being unaware of who you’re voting for is very detrimental to our generation because we are who will be impacted.”
Voting is what keeps the country in a representative democracy. It gives power to the people and allows Americans to express their views surrounding the government. People were willing to fight for the right to vote for decades because it means the government can’t deny the American people civil rights. Voting is what allows the United States to advance as a country and steer away from totalitarianism, which is a strict dictatorship.
“I think it’s important to vote because so many people have fought and died for the right,” stated Chassity Mahaska, a government teacher at Warren Central.
Without a doubt, every vote counts. Many Americans refuse to go out and vote because they believe a certain candidate has already won based on popularity. It is crucial to remember that not all people will stick with the same candidate after tuning in on rallies and debates. Anybody’s vote could change the whole trajectory of the election process. According to the Indiana State Government in 1836, a single vote from a friend led to Senator Edward Hannegan being elected.
“Every citizen in the United States has the right to vote, and they’re responsible for the decision-making of the country,” said Anthony Schlichte, a US history and economics teacher.
Considering the ways that voting has changed the country and the time it took for all citizens to be able to vote, voting holds great significance. Though some younger citizens of the United States aren’t able to vote just yet, they will be able to in the future and should be informed about the process.