Each November, Americans across the country head to the polls to cast votes on whichever issues and candidates lay on the ballot. 

Senior Bailey Freese, among other BV students who recently turne

d 18, exercised her right to participate in this election for the first time last month. Though she hadn’t voted before, Freese saw the value in having a voice. 

“I feel like it would be unfair to have the ability to vote and to not,” she said. “Being able to contribute to what goes on in your [community is important].”

Before she could cast a ballot, Freese decided it was a worthwhile investment to look beneath the surface of each campaign. 

“I feel like I have to do some background research myself just because you never know,” she said. “All

of these ads on social media are like 95% fake — it’s just them tag-teaming and trying to go against each other. I really have to look a

t each person’s background and figure out which one I most agree with.”

Though she took the time to brush up on her politics, Freese doesn’t believe all young voters are in the loop. 

“I feel like it’s a 50/50,” she said. “Some people are very political, and there are other kids who have no idea what’s going on at all. They don’t really know the difference between political parties, so they just do whatever their friends do.”

In regards to specific issues, Freese didn’t see a clear outlier that would take priority for young voters. She did, however, think a guiding philosophy would push them toward certain opinions.

“Whatever gives them the most freedom is what they’re [going to care about],” Freese said. “If it contributes to them being able to do more things they weren’t able to before, they’re going to vote for it.”   

While she wasn’t particularly passionate about each and every local race, Freese valued participating in her community. 

“Since it was my first time being able to vote, I was excited to be heard,” she said. “We actually have a say in what goes on, and this is us saying what we want.”