With every school year, seniors turning eighteen begin to enter a new world with opinions on politics and elections. The decisions they make have an impact on everyone, which is a new, enormous responsibility.

   “I think it’s super important for the younger generation to vote because it will affect them as they start adulthood and whoever is chosen will be in charge of important tasks for four years. The politicians are representative of us so we should vote for people we think will reflect our opinions,” Hyer said.

   Finding representatives the people can agree with is important so their voices are heard and concerns are shared.

   “I would say that young people care about issues that are most relevant to them. So whether that’s things from access to healthcare or paying for college. I think younger people have slightly different opinions on things like reproductive freedom. There are just some issues that I think are probably going to be more consequential for younger people than maybe older Americans,” government teacher Mr. Gates said.

   Typically, many different things affect people’s opinions or way of thinking on certain topics, which is common with political opinions.

   “I think with each generation, there are events that happen during their lifetime that impact their political views. That’s one thing we talk about in AP government and how life experiences will have an impact on political preferences,” Gates said.

   With this most recent generation being able to vote, there have been multiple major events throughout the world that could impact their views.

   “I think the war going on between Israel and Palestine, Covid-19 pandemic, almost nuclear wars, have all somewhat influenced how Gen Z vote, and is based on what the candidate’s action plan is to resolve or mediate the issues,” senior Tess Hyer said.

   Sometimes new and young voters don’t know exactly where to go, especially because there are so many options, such as in-person and online.

   “In Missouri, they can go to the Clay County Board of Elections and register there, but I would say for most students doing it online would probably be the most convenient. So we’re going to have posters that are posted all around the school so that kids can see it. The deadline is October 9th and they need to be 18 by October 5th, to register,” Gates said.

Many young voters worry about not having what they need or not knowing where to go so it’s important to also know those details.

   “Students just need to bring their driver’s license or some sort of government-issued ID. There will be a specific polling place that you go to based on where you live. When they register, they’ll eventually get a voter registration card. You don’t have to bring that with you when you vote. It’s not bad to do it, but it will tell you specifically where to vote. You also don’t have to vote on November 5th, if they want to vote early, they’re able to do that. That way it’s more convenient for the voter, now there is something to be said about the rite of passage of going in and voting on election day for the first time,” Gates said.

   Starting from a young age, parents have influenced our choices on numerous topics, therefore the opinions of one’s parents can affect them majorly.

   “For young people there’s still an influence from their parents. But I think their peers and social media are probably the other biggest influences,” Gates said.

   Nowadays, social media can influence and affect one’s opinions on any topic. This is very common within the political sphere on social media.

   “Over the years, candidates have learned how to use social media effectively to reach voters. But I also think social media has a negative impact because of the ease of misinformation spreading so rapidly. Some of the more traditional forms of media that were more regulated, vetted, and followed standards impacted information more accurately than what many people are getting from social media. I think people whether they’re young or old, their social media is tailored to their political views, so they’re living in an echo chamber where they’re just hearing what they want to hear and most of that is distorted,” Gates said.

  There can be difficulties with voting at a young age, so it’s good to be aware of them before joining the political world, elections, and everything that comes with it. Some students may feel some sort of pressure on themselves to make a ‘right’ choice, but it’s good to remember everyone has their views on these topics and you should base it on what you feel is best and not what others think. It can be good to take classes like Goverment to get a better understanding of our country and how it works.

   “I learned about how the government works and that I can be a small portion represented when I vote. Taking a government class changed my view on what I can do to influence change,” Hyer said.