The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

The official student newspaper of Walter Johnson High School

The Pitch

Students give back to community, make impact on Election Day

Students+give+back+to+community%2C+make+impact+on+Election+Day

On Nov. 3 and 4, a recruitment drive is coming to WJ with the goal of signing up high school students to volunteer as election judges in upcoming elections. Students who are interested should visit either the student commons or the senior hallway during lunch to talk to those involved and sign up.

Dr. Gilberto Zelaya, the program and early voting coordinator for the Montgomery County Board of Elections, organized the event with the help of a team of students. These students, under the guidance of Zelaya, form the Future Vote Initiative, which is aimed at showing students the importance of elections at a young age to increase their likelihood of voting when they are older and, in turn, end low voter turnout.

Zelaya and the Future Vote Initiative ensure that student volunteers are rewarded through their work, but not overwhelmed.

“It’s a short term commitment with a long term impact,” Zelaya said. “It’s important that our youth start from the beginning volunteering and engaging so when they become adults they’ll become in the habit of participating in voting.”

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Election judges typically help open, run and close precincts on Election Day. Further, election judges may choose to be compensated for their work with either $180.00 or 25 SSL hours. Students who are part of the Future Vote Initiative, such as senior Marissa Nardella, work to assist election judges as well as voters, and receive SSL hours for their work.

Nardella, who got involved with Zelaya’s work in middle school, hasn’t looked back since. 

“[Volunteering is] empowering. It’s also surprisingly fun because everyone who comes through the doors on election day is different,” Nardella said. 

There is no school on election day, a fact Zelaya believes should further motivate students to volunteer at a local precinct.

“What better way to give back to the community and the country than serving its citizens, as supposed to sitting on the couch all day eating cold pizza [and] playing video games,” Zelaya said. “High school is beyond SATs and getting your driver’s license.”

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