Rylie Yeager ’25

After years of learning about American government and politics and its flaws in high school, I’ve been impatiently waiting to turn eighteen so that I could participate in politics in one of the simplest ways: voting. Just this past August I finally turned eighteen, allowing me to fulfill the civic duty I’ve always learned about. One thing that’s stuck with me after so many years of government classes is the notoriously low voter turnout rate of young people; I’d like to work to change that.

Registering to vote was incredibly easy and I actually did it in the backseat of my mom’s Honda on our way to a Phillies game. For most states, it’s as simple as a quick Google search of “[insert state] voter registration” and a five to ten minute form to fill out. I live in Pennsylvania and I knew I would not be able to return home for this November’s general elections in my county. Because of this, I also opted on my registration to receive a mail-in ballot to ensure I’d be able to vote despite living here in New York. Maybe two weeks ago, my mom texted me with a picture of the mail I’d gotten from my county with my ballot waiting inside. For those who also attend Pace from out-of-state, a relative could mail you your ballot to fill out here at school and you could mail it directly to your county’s election office — the address is typically included already on the envelope that arrives with your ballot. I went home to visit family this weekend, so I filled out my ballot at home. I then dropped it to the election office, as all ballots for my county need to be received by November 2nd. The process was all incredibly straightforward and went smoothly. For those that may have missed any November elections, it’s never too late to register to vote in elections occurring next year in the spring or autumn. It’s so simple; I urge you all to vote and make your voices heard so that we can see the change that we hope to see!