On November 3, the U.S. will hold its midterm elections, which determines the makeup of our Congress for the next two years. Among those casting their ballots, approximately 25% of the LWHS senior class will be eligible to vote for their very first time.
This midterm election carries much higher stakes as the Republican Party controls the House of Representatives, but only by a slim margin of four seats. Many politicians and journalists have predicted a “blue wave” where voters are leaning towards more Democratic candidates. In addition to the congressional races, there are also 14 propositions on the ballot for California; one of the most controversial is Prop 40, otherwise known as the billionaires tax.
The midterm elections are often overlooked when compared to the presidential election, but according to 18 year old Ved Marya ‘27, a Lick-Wilmerding High School student who works in voter outreach for youth voters, “If anything, the midterm is like a more stressful or high stakes version of the main election itself, because that kind of determines how much power the current party will have.” Currently, the Democratic party needs to secure four more seats in the Senate in order to hold the majority after the midterm elections. This would be significant because it would make it increasingly harder for President Trump to pass new policies and laws that he wants to instill.
Many LWHS seniors plan to vote in their first election this November. “We can’t expect the government to change if we don’t do our part and try to make that change by, at the bare minimum, voting,” said current LWHS senior Avery Belenson ‘27, who is 18. In fact, only 47% of young voters across the country voted in the 2024 presidential election.
Both Belenson and Marya are planning to do in-depth research on the political candidates in their congressional districts before Election Day comes. Belenson mentioned that “I have a couple of other friends – we’re all older, and it’s our first time voting, and so we’re going to try to host an election party and do research together on the candidates.” Other students are planning on doing their research via the Voter Information Pamphlet issued by the County of San Francisco. It is clear that these young voters are dedicated to making their own decisions regarding who they plan to vote for instead of simply just voting for someone based on their political party or family and peer influence.
“Honestly, the thing I’m most excited about being 18 is to be able to vote,” Marya said. Ultimately, voting is an important right that all US citizens are given when they turn 18—but with this right comes the enormous opportunity to use your vote to make a difference.
On November 3rd, over 500 polling places, along with the City Hall Voting Center, will be open in San Francisco for the general public to come and vote for their voice to be heard in the upcoming midterm elections. According to numerous California polls, only a small percentage of eligible voters cast their ballots in recent elections. LWHS seniors will narrow the gap between intent and turnout in this upcoming election to make their voices heard.
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