Seniors able to vote in midterm election

Laura+Kelly+won+the+election+for+Kansas+State+Governor+with+47.8+percent++of+the+popular+vote.

Laura Kelly won the election for Kansas State Governor with 47.8 percent of the popular vote.

For months, candidates campaigned for the votes of their fellow Americans, trying to gain enough votes to secure their seat in office.

This year was projected to be a blue wave with Democrats taking more seats than Republicans, as many young voters mobilized to make their voice heard. It ended with a Democratic lead in the House, but the Senate is still controlled by Republicans.

For many seniors, the 2018 midterm elections were their first opportunity to exercise their right to vote.

“I felt that it was important for me to vote, it is our duty as citizens,” senior Joey Wei said. “My AP government class also pressured me too.”

American government instructor Dan Balman’s main goal is to teach students how to be an educated and informed voter.

“Know the issues, know what’s going on in the state you are in, the local town you are in, the nation you are in,” Balman said. “You have to know the issues because you have to be an educated voter. If you don’t and you are just voting to vote it is not going to do any good.”

There are many different ways voters can educate themselves on candidates and political issues.

“I just looked up the main candidates online and based my decisions on that,” senior Hannah Harman said.

One way to learn about a candidates views is to go on their website

“I googled issues and what the candidates stance was on each of them,” Wei said. “Sometimes the candidates website has their stances posted for easy access.”

Sometimes people vote for one candidate simply because they dislike the other option.

“I voted for Laura Kelly because I believed in her view over Chris Kobach’s,” Harman said.

Other times people believe their state just needs a change so they vote for someone they think can deliver that change.

“I voted for Laura Kelly for state governor,” Wei said.  “I felt that Kansas needed something new. It seemed that even though she is a democratic she had some similar republican views. In a shorter sense, she can cover more ground.”

Balman believes that this nation was founded upon the fact that the people are the voice of government.

“We elect the officials who are going to be our voices,” Balman said. “If we don’t like what they are doing we can vote them out. If we like what their issues are or what they may be able to do for us or society then let’s vote them into office. It’s very important because those individuals are our voice.”

21abrooks@usd489.com, 21afeyerherm@usd489.com