Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

In 2020, many WJ students will be donning the iconic “I Voted” sticker on election day.

To most, voting is a civic duty. Every two years on Election Day, people leave work and line up to vote for the individuals they want to represent them and their country. This is one of the most basic levels of participation in a democracy. While voting in elections every two years may be a routine to most, it brings a whole new feeling of excitement and responsibility to those who have never before participated. This includes many students from WJ who will be casting their ballots for the first time next year in the upcoming election.

Junior Sophie Kotlove is greatly looking forward to participating in the upcoming election.

“Of course I will be voting! I want to use my constitutional right,” Kotlove said.

Kotlove registered to vote when she got her driver’s license last spring. Citizens in Maryland are eligible to register at 16, even if they may not be old enough to vote in the next election. Most register at the MVA when they get their license or online through the Maryland Board of Elections website. WJ also hosts a voter registration drive yearly to encourage students to participate in their government.

Students have been taught in their classes the importance of exercising their right to vote and they hope to apply these important lessons to real life next year in the election.

“I will vote because I want to be a good citizen, be involved in society and help influence politics for what I want,” junior Yolita Barreto said.

The 2020 election will be pivotal in determining the course that politics will go in the next decade. Candidates are running with major issues and proposing their solutions.

“Look, folks, this is the most important election you’ve ever voted in your life,” Democratic candidate Joe Biden said.

Students on both sides of the political spectrum plan on using their vote to try to elect a candidate that will support their beliefs.

“I will most likely be voting for Trump… I know my opinion is not well perceived by people in our area, but I value what he has done as President,” junior Aidan Conaway said.

While students may be divided on who to vote for, most can agree that it is important for students to vote next year if they are eligible so that they can influence the future that they will inherit.

“It’s important for youths to voice their opinion for the future of the country that they will soon be in charge of,” senior Cam Lukash said.