With a presidential election drawing near, many of this school’s students who have turned 18 are now eligible to vote in the election on Nov. 5. Before Indiana’s voter registration deadline on Oct. 7, CHS administrators did not prepare enough materials to help educate students who are now eligible to vote. This trend is evident throughout Hamilton County in voter turnout. In the 2022 midterm election, voter turnout among 18-24 year olds was lower than the county average of just 11.7%.

To begin, administrators could have sent out more general information. Announcements on the CHS or the counseling canvas pages could have been incredibly beneficial in getting the word out to the general student body. Informational fliers or pamphlets could have been passed out to senior specific SSRTs in order to get the word out more. 

Another excellent resource could have been SSRT information sessions. Many students might not know the process of registering to vote, or not realize they can vote now. It is imperative that changes be made to future programming to reflect this, and provide more informational programming. 

Furthermore, a greater emphasis should be placed on voting in general. Voting is a key part of the United States democracy, and it is important to instill these ideas in students who are newly eligible to vote, especially during a presidential election. Even if this school isn’t directly facilitating any programs to get the word out, advertising sessions promoting political engagement could be incredibly beneficial.

The good news is, before the next election cycle, this school can build on pre-existing initiatives that have immense potential instead of starting from scratch. Voter registration drives that took place last year and more recently, on Oct. 4, offered information on voting locations, opportunities for early voting and directions on how to register. However, their efficacy was limited. 

Planning multiple drives in various locations (such as this school’s Greyhound Cafeteria and Main Cafeteria) would further hammer home important information on voting to a wider audience. Multiple nonpartisan organizations such as the League of Women Voters have offered volunteers and items such as stickers and friendship bracelets to raise awareness for civic engagement this election cycle, but resources alone are not enough. Administrators must maximize the utility of these resources in the next election cycle and prioritize civil engagement in an era of increasing voter apathy, especially among American youth.

Yet, administrators should remain neutral in the outcome of the election. They should advocate exclusively for political engagement while diminishing partisan influence. Administrators can promote joint PSAs endorsed and curated by both the CHS Democrats and CHS Republicans clubs, which can disseminate unbiased, important information.

In this election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump present two radically different visions for the future of America, which will drastically shape the lives of current high schoolers, both in the short and long term. For students to vote for policies that truly matter to them during the next election cycle, administrators must allocate more resources to encourage student voting. If successful, administrators will ensure the viability of American democracy as students exercise their fundamental right and uphold their voting responsibility as citizens.