When I walked into St. Johnās United Methodist Church on Nov. 5 to cast my ballot as a first-time voter, the subdued chatter and quiet scribbling were eerie in contrast to the general frenzy surrounding this yearās presidential election. Though so essential, voting was very anticlimactic. Still, toting the red, white and blue sticker for the rest of the day made me proud; I did my part.
Nationally, 65% of eligible voters showed up at the polls, according to The Washington Post, with a similar percentage in New Mexico. In terms of young people ā ages 18 to 29 ā only 42% voted in this election, according to Tufts University. Maybe itās overstated, but voting is a privilege, and I would add voting is a duty. Even so, anger, fear and ambivalence keep people from participating in elections.
One of the largest deterrents to voting in the presidential race is the Electoral College, which 60% of Americans support abolishing, according to a report by the Pew Research Center. The Electoral College allows candidates to win the presidency without winning the popular vote ā something that happened as recently as the 2016 election, when Donald Trump was elected for his first term. In 2016, Trump won the presidency with 306 electoral votes but lost the popular vote to Hilary Clinton by around 3 million votes, according to The New York Times. When individual ballots donāt directly count toward electing the president, voting can feel meaningless.
What is lost in the discourse, however, is that there are multiple offices to vote for on the ballot. Yes, I voted for president, but I also voted for state and federal representatives, for local officials and on amendments to the New Mexico Constitution ā all of which are decided by popular vote. I know my vote in this election directly impacted policy and representation on both a state and national level; even if voting for the presidential office feels meaningless, elections are chances to influence the government in multiple ways.
In Arizona, Trump won the electoral vote, but the stateās residents also voted to overturn abortion bans and elected a Democratic senator as well. Contrary to the political extremes often displayed in the media ā such as the proposed Project 2025, a right-wing agenda put forth by the Heritage Foundation ā politics are simply not black and white (or red and blue).
I turned 18 five days before the election, barely making the cutoff. Leading up to Nov. 5, many of my peers posted on social media urging those who could vote to do so because they themselves werenāt eligible. I know so many fellow high schoolers who felt the gravity of this yearās election but didnāt have the power to influence it, and I can only imagine how hard it was to sit by idly. In 2020 when I was 14, there was nothing more frustrating or demoralizing than not having a voice in the election. I am so grateful to have been lucky enough to get to vote in 2024 ā so grateful for the chance to weigh in on the future of the country.
For the next election and every one after, I make a plea: Vote. Vote for local issues. Vote for representation in Congress. Vote for those who canāt vote, and vote because America is a democracy and the voice of the people matters.
Cora Thompson is a senior at The MASTERS Program. Contact them at corat.9675@gmail.com.
