The sun slowly peaks above the horizon as I stand in line outside of the Edina Covenant Church, waiting for the polls to open at 7AM. My dad gives me advice about candidates and their issues in the final minutes before voting begins. Only a few minutes later, I receive the ballot and proceed to fulfill my civic duty of filling out bubbles next to candidates’ names. I, just like many other BSM students, was excited to vote and participate in the American democracy.

BSM seniors flocked to the polls both before and after school to vote in the 2014 midterm elections. Students who recently turned 18 were excited to exercise their newfound right of political participation. “I was really excited to finally be able to have my opinion mean something in the bigger scheme of things,” senior Nate Barry said.

Voting is one of the biggest rights of passage into adulthood, and for many BSM students, voting is the most prevalent action that reflects their age. Students were partially drawn to the polls simply because they had the ability to vote. “I’m not really very politically active but it was still fun to look up all of the candidates and issues and go vote for who I agree with. I wasn’t gonna pass up on my first opportunity to vote,” senior Morgan Matson said.

BSM students were also heavily involved with the election process. Select students were recruited from the government classes and worked at Susan Lindgren Elementary school, the polling place for precinct 7 of district 5. “I worked as the very first person people see when they enter. It was really fun and interesting to see how much happens behind the scenes of an American election. There are a lot of people and processes that make these elections work,” senior Abe Fortier said.