Social studies teacher Rebekah Amato ran a voting registration drive on Jan. 31. Amato worked with senior students on completing registration papers ahead of the Virginia presidential primary.
“We [registered] Seniors that will be 18 by November 25, 2024,” said Amato. ”In Virginia, so long as you’re registered by February 12th, you can vote in the Virginia Primary on March 5th.”
Virginia’s primary is one of 15 states to be held on Super Tuesday. Going back to the 1980s, Super Tuesday began as the Southern response to Iowa’s outsized influence on primaries. Traditionally one of the first primaries, Iowa has had a large influence on boosting or busting candidates’ campaigns since 1970. Southern states banded together to make their vote count and picked a single day to all hold primaries, Super Tuesday.
Despite primaries’ tremendous impact on presidential elections, voter turnout is rarely above 30%. This has been credited to closed primaries, where voters can only vote in the primary of their political party. Closed primaries prevent voters from picking a candidate from both parties. Another issue credited is the “winner take all” system. Under this system, a candidate who wins the most votes receives the delegates for primaries. The “winner take all” system has been credited with creating the two party system and disillusionment felt by many voters towards the election system. Senior Victoria Wigfall doesn’t plan on voting in both the 2024 primary and election.
“I don’t like my options,” said Wigfall. “I just don’t like the people and what they stand for.”
Amato successfully registered 60 seniors in both the lunchroom drive and through outreach to social studies classes. Of these seniors, only 16 will vote in the primaries and 40 in the 2024 election, according to voter data. Despite data, voting appeared important to many students and staff on the Hill.m n vb
“It’s our civic duty,” said Principal Phillips.
