“All citizens, young and old should pay attention to what is going on in government, not just during an election season. Listening to or reading the news from reputable sources is a great place to start,” social studies teacher Lori Zang-Berns said.

With the 2020 general election on Nov. 3, everyone is bombarded with ads promoting candidates and encouraging everyone to vote. But, not everyone who sees these campaigns are able to vote due to the voting age being 18. With the exception of the seniors whose birthdays fall before the registration deadline, most high school students are not eligible to vote.

Students in support of both parties are able to share their views and beliefs through outlets such as rallies as well as on social media. As news articles, graphic design posts and even memes are created and posted, students repost and share to their stories to promote the policies and inspire change even if they cannot directly make an impact through their votes.

Freshman Vedika Kumar said, “A lot of people that I know are unable to vote however they continue to speak out on political issues that they believe in as well as social issues through social media as well as just verbally voicing how they feel. I think it’s really important to use your voice because regardless of whether you can vote or not you can still influence the voices of those who can.”

She said like many young people, her views are strongly influenced by those held by her parents. 

“I would say I have the same beliefs as my parents because it is the environment that I grew up in,” Kumar said.

And, though they can’t cast their ballots tomorrow, many students have strong opinions about how they would vote if given the opportunity to choose between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and incumbent Republican President Donald Trump.

“I would vote for Biden. I agree with his environmental, healthcare and criminal justice policies. Also, because I am a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I feel he would do far more to help the community than Donald Trump would,” senior Chris McMahon said.

While the majority of students in a Lancer Feed poll voted in favor of Biden, junior Grace Raymond, along with 254 other members of the Lafayette community, said if she could vote, she would cast a ballot in favor of Trump.

Raymond has found that part of her decision comes from Trump’s stance and ideas regarding abortion.

“Trump is one of the most outspoken pro-life presidents we’ve had and that is something that’s very important to me. While I know he isn’t everyone’s top choice for president, he gets things done, and pushing for a more pro-life America is one of the reasons I stand behind him,” Raymond said.