Many rites of passage are associated with turning 18; you are officially an adult. But, with independence, comes responsibility as well.  

Some seniors at Westerville South will have the opportunity to have their voices heard in the upcoming 2024 election, but the first step is registering to vote. Approximately 125 students at WSHS turn 18 before election day, but are not entirely sure how to get registered to vote. 

There are many places one can go in order to get registered; one resource being government teacher Kelley Stocker, located in the upstairs green wing in room 1209. She highly encourages students to get registered to vote. 

Stocker said getting registered is very important because voting “influences policies that are going to affect your life. Voting can help us get the policies that will support our own best interests.” 

Stocker will help students through the process of getting registered. She can provide students with paper registration forms, and then once they’ve filled it out and brought it back, she will help them to look up the county board of elections the student should mail their form to based on their address. 

Another resource for students at WSHS is the website rockthevote.org. Librarian Brandi Young helped to organize an event with the organization in the library around the time of the last election. 

The organization helps students practice how to actually vote on the ballot with real voting stations, as well as getting them registered if they are 18 and wanting to be registered. 

All of this information is also included on their website under the “How To Vote” tab. The website takes you step-by-step through how to vote. The only form of identification or paperwork that you need in order to vote is a state issued ID.

Voting is a constitutional right given to all American citizens aged 18 and older, and many students also believe in the importance of voting, such as 18-year-old students Jordan Zerman and Liam Schlagbaum. 

Zerman said, “Your vote matters and you should use your voice to try to make a difference in our country.” Schlagbaum said, “Voting is what fuels our democracy, and you should use the voice that was given to you by the constitution.”

The last day to register to vote is 30 days before the election day on Nov. 5, so students have until Oct. 7 to get themselves registered. Even if your 18th birthday falls after the Oct. 7 deadline, you can still register while you’re 17 years old, as long as your birthday is before the actual election day.

Link to Voting Registration Help : http://rockthevote.org