On Tuesday, November 6, the midterm election polling sites opened, allowing thousands of citizens to rush in and vote for the future of the country. For many, this process is a regular thing. However, for others voting is a new frontier. At BSM, multiple seniors were lucky enough to vote, all for the first time, and some were even Election Judges.

For first time voters, voting can be an intimidating and daunting task. Some prepared for weeks, doing much research on the candidates; while others, sort of coasted along and voting how they felt. “I wanted to know as much as possible for the candidates up for election. I know my vote makes a difference, and I wanted to make sure that I was as informed as possible,” senior Lauren Chevalier said.

Because they see voting as a responsibility, many teachers––especially teachers of history and social studies––try to prepare the new voters for what they will get themselves into. “As a political science teacher, I think it is really important to vote and to get your voice heard.  I think the higher percentage voter turnout, the government is then more likely to be more responsive to the people,” U.S. Government teacher Keith Jones said.

Seven seniors, Isabella Duffy, Xiomara Guzman, Madison Johnson, Ava Lundberg, Sky Ochoa Jordan, Rachel Scoggins, Roger Stelljes, decided to take the plunge and apply to be an Election Judge. Any U.S citizen above the age of 16 can apply for the position of Election Judge, and throughout the election day, the election judges help out at the polling places. Jobs like greeting voters, helping voters register, checking registered voters in, explaining how to mark a ballot, and more keep the judges busy for the entire day, or at least until the polls close. “It was very interesting to see how the polling places work. It was so organized, and It was easy to pick up on what I was supposed to do,” senior Riley Norman said.

Polling places are dispersed across Twin Cities, and because voters are registered by where they live, many seniors will follow their parents on election day, going to the same location to vote since this is all new to them.  “I [voted] at Meadowbrook Elementary, which was my elementary school,” senior Riley Norman said.