Students Express Low Interest in Midterm Election
STATE COLLEGE, PA – As Voter turnout continues to diminish in this year’s midterm election, election volunteers remain disappointed about the lack of student involvement.
Even though there were seven seats in contention in Pennsylvania, including that of the Governors, only 17% of those registered came out to vote.
Veteran volunteer Anne Walker has been helping the election ballot offices in Centre County for eight years, and said she sees it as her citizen responsibility to vote. Walker adds that she doesn’t understand why students don’t vote when registered.
“It’s our civic duty to vote, “ Walker said. “That’s why students registered. To come out and vote, and why they’re not coming, I don’t know. They registered, so they should come.”
Voting posters outside of St. Paul’s United Church. Photo by Aria Moyer
For this year’s midterm elections, Walker and 4 others are volunteering at precinct 28, St. Paul’s Church on East College Avenue, which is located just one block away from the bi-weekly farmers market. An open-air market, which students regularly visit on their way to class, yet the nearby voting location remains empty.
Despite the low voter turnout, the few Penn State students who did vote said they recognized the importance of their vote and the long-term effects the election results could potentially have on them. Penn State student Gretta Safonova said she felt encouraged to cast her vote because of her political science classes, in which they discussed the importance of voting“Today we learned that individually your vote doesn’t quite count but collectively it does so it’s important to vote,” Safonova said.
Low voter turnout at St. Paul’s Church. Courtesy of The Daily Collegian
Walker said that even though it’s disappointing to see such a lack of student interest in politics, she enjoys her work as a volunteer and find its rewarding when people exercise their civic duty.
“The days are long.” Walker said. “But we keep ourselves occupied by knitting and when the elections are posted, its nice to know we contributed as both volunteers and voters.”