Seniors in the school had strong feelings about why they chose to vote, especially in regards to

the upcoming election.

18 year old senior Avery Bookie mentioned that one of her biggest motivators would be that if she has the opportunity to help with change that she should. It was also brought up how her parents raised her, stating that they always emphasized that if they don’t take part, they can’t really complain. “Voting, as an American citizen...it’s kinda like, my one thing that I feel patriotic in,” said Bookie.

Bookie expressed that because of her personal identity, she takes voting quite seriously. “Voting for one person or another can and will impact my future,” said Bookie. She shared that when making decisions about voting, she considers how life would change for everyone, not just herself. She also admitted that the media played into her opinion as well, being a vital way to get information about who or what she may be voting for.

“There’s no good enough excuse to not go out and vote,” said Bookie. The only thing she could think of was if she physically couldn’t, but she was able to find a solution to that as well. She recalled her family from overseas has found a way to participate in the election by using absentee ballots to cast their votes from afar.

If she were to not vote, Bookie claimed that she would feel a weight on her shoulders of not doing enough. In a survey sent out to the seniors at the school, many agreed with her, stating that they felt it was their American duty to vote. Others shared that they wanted their voice to be heard or that their parents made them vote.

She mentioned that if she were to not take part in the election, things could become a wreck and it would partially be her fault for not doing everything she could. “If you don’t go and vote, and somebody who is detrimental to our country gets into office, and starts messing things up...I would personally feel guilty about that,” Bookie said.