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art by JOANNE SUNG

TO KNOW THE BALLOT The school has a duty to educate future voters

After the 2016 presidential election, the United States government conducted a census to determine the rates of voter turnout per age group. It revealed that of all the groups, young people, ages 18–29, displayed the lowest turnout by far. This may seem surprising, but historically this has been the case in all major elections dating back to 1972, when the voting age was lowered to 18. As the age group that will be affected by future policies for the longest period of time, it is sad to see that youth are the ones who are the least likely to vote on the policies considering they directly affect their futures.

At 18 years old, I am now a part of this young people voting demographic, which means that my peers and I hold the power to change the MADALYN ABADY staff writer

historic trend of low voter turnout, as well as the future of our country. However, as first time voters, many of us lack the experience needed to act as responsible voters. Personally, I know that I will not fully understand all of the things I will encounter on a ballot when I vote. I am confident in my age group’s ability to vote intelligently and change the world that we live in if we are taught how. It seems to me that there should be more of an emphasis placed on helping make sure the next generation of voters is ready to conduct this voting right. I can’t help but wonder if the environment in which I receive much of my information and knowledge could assist me in my journey as a first time voter. That’s why I believe that Ladue should offer a course about voting.

This semester-long class — primarily meant for seniors who are eligible to vote (in Missouri, citizens are eligible to register to vote at 17 ½ years old) — would tackle many of the issues facing young voters. This means class time would be used to conduct in-depth discussions about issues on upcoming ballots. Everything all the way from candidates to referendums and initiatives to polling place etiquette and requirements would be discussed regularly in the class to make sure Ladue’s voters are as educated as possible. Additionally, all students in the class would come out as registered voters. Voting is a civic duty held by the citizens of the United States. If Ladue invested time and resources into a class to make sure that its students were prepared to become intelligent and well informed voters, then students may feel more prepared to vote. In the end, it would benefit not only the Ladue community but also our country as a whole.