All credits to Tiffany Tertipes for the cover image.
First-time voters are using their voices both at home and at the polls in this year’s Presidential Election, despite the anything but ordinary circumstances facing the world.
The option to vote early has been in high demand by registered voters this election year. Some states, including Texas, have had early voting numbers which have surpassed their total turnout number in 2016, CNN reports. With early voting, the high volumes of people that would be at the polls are now spread out over a period of time, making it safer for people to vote. This is essential for people who are at high risk of getting COVID-19 or live with people who are, in addition to preventing the spread of the virus in general. A poll done by Washington Post-University of Maryland found that more than 60
percent of registered voters wanted voting before Election Day because of the pandemic.
Like many others, Stonybrook University student Jessica Seepersaud chose to cast her vote in person before Election Day. Seepersaud was nervous when she arrived at the polls with her mother, but she says it was “really calm and civil”, adding that no one was causing any problems. “The pandemic definitely influenced my voting experience since I was able to vote early,” she says. Seepersaud was thankful everyone was wearing their masks, and notes that she and her mom were provided with hand sanitizer before entering and leaving the voting site. She says that it was “a good first-time voting experience” and she’s glad she did it.
Absentee ballots have also been held in high regard this election year, more so than in the past. Data from The New York Times indicates that a total of 92 million absentee ballots have been requested or sent to voters in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Absentee ballots allow voters to skip the wait time in long lines and provide a safer way of voting for those afraid of contracting COVID-19. They can be mailed in or dropped off at a polling site, and have been a highly sought after option by young voters.
For Hunter College student Jenny Wen, the pandemic solidified her decision to vote by mail, a method that’s gained extreme popularity this election year for the same reason. Wen is a sophomore who voted for the first time by absentee ballot. “I requested my ballot due to the pandemic because I did not feel comfortable voting in person,” she says. On voting for the first time, Wen was optimistic and proud to be able to use her voice: “I felt really excited to vote because I know every vote is important, and it could help a lot of people, not only me.”
This year’s election is seeing a surge in voting from first-time voters of all ages. USA Today reports that there’s a high probability this election will see the numbers of first-time voters increase. With the stakes being high and social media propelling young voters to the polls more than ever before, many people are showing up for the first time to make sure their voices are heard.
College student Kiara LeRoy sat in her room as she filled out the absentee ballot she requested earlier in the week. LeRoy, who is a sophomore at the University at Albany, was happy to vote for the first time because “each and every vote counts.” She dropped off the ballot at her local voting site after filling it out, noting that the pandemic did not affect her voting process in any way. “By being a part of this, it makes me feel like I helped our chances of having a better president,” LeRoy says.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/elections/early-voting-numbers-so-far/
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/elections/early-voting-results.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/10/30/voting-2020-older-americanscasting-ballots-first-time/3745521001/
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/30/politics/texas-2020-early-vote/index.html
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