This year will be Zoe-Kate Huey’s ‘21 first time participating at the polls in an election. Although she will not be 18, she is able to work at a polling center to help things run more smoothly and allow more polling sites to be open. 

“With COVID there have been less people who have signed up, so they need more people to work the polls,” she said.  “This year not as many older people have signed up and that’s why a lot of younger people have taken it upon themselves to sign up.” 

This year the number of young poll workers has spiked in order to account for the lack of poll workers in the older community. This election has the potential to have the highest turnout, and with COVID-19 it’s possible that many eligible voters will be unable to cast their vote this election.

“There are more eligible voters now than ever before. So working the polls is going to be very important this year,” Xanthe Vitaz ‘21 said. “With more young people going in to work the polls that means more places can stay open for longer, and more people can vote.”

People who are unable to vote have recognized this issue and they are taking it upon themselves to help save the democracy in the United States. For Kyle Conrad-Lowe ‘21 the election has been on his mind for months.

“[I] signed up a few weeks ago to help people’s voices be heard and enable our democracy to work,” he said. “[I’m] just glad I can help support the United States and the right to vote.”

Another reason that is inspiring students to get involved in the spread of activism throughout that community over the past five months. 

“There are definitely way more student volunteers this year,” Nic Carlson ‘22 said. “I think coronavirus forcing people inside has fostered the growth of students’ political views.”

Many students feel more passionate about getting involved because they are finding more political issues that they care about. Carlson sees the importance of doing his part, however small it may seem because he sees that every voice matters. 

“I think students too often think their vote doesn’t matter or even that it won’t affect them. Unfortunately, that idea spreads so far that it could theoretically decide an election,” he said. “I thought [working the polls] would be a unique opportunity to be involved in the democratic process as someone who isn’t old enough to vote.”