With midterm elections approaching, there is a constant debate of who is the best candidate. At this time of the year, there’s only one way to decide: voting. For the past few weeks, members of the Georgia Secretary of State Student Ambassador program have been encouraging students of-age to register to vote. When you are 17 and a half, you are eligible to vote in the next election, allowing you to register to vote. You can vote in the elections when you are 18 years old.  This year, residents of Georgia can cast their ballot for important state positions such as Georgia Governor, US House, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of State. We interviewed one of the many students educated on how to register others to vote and its importance.

Senior Lucas Ramos Gimenez was part of the group that organized the voter registration.

Tell us a little about what organization you’re a part of and what got you into voting.

“I’m in a group that started with Rho Kappa, the Social Studies Honors Society, and all of the officers went to the Georgia SOS Ambassadors. SOS stands for Secretary of State and it’s a program held by our secretary of state, Brian Kemp, to motivate students our age to motivate other students to register to vote and be involved in politics. That event kicked off […] the Youth Ambassadors of Georgia. That’s how we got to know it.”

What has Rho Kappa done to encourage students to vote?

 “Basically we get points by doing speeches. Trey Walker did a speech. Mayor Brumbalow came. He spoke in front of all the seniors to motivate them to register to vote. There was a day where I [and the other Ambassadors] went to three different classrooms to talk to the students to register to vote. We also had tables set up in the cafeteria for a whole week before the October 9th deadline. We had Chromebooks set up so that we could help [the student body] register to vote. It was a five-minute process.”

Why do you think it is important to vote?

“It’s important to vote so that our voices since we are young, are heard. We’re going to be affected by the laws that come out and sooner or later, one of us might even be a politician so it’s important to get that mindset before we go to college and before we get busy with our own lives and just always be involved in politics. Politics affect our everyday lives, whether we like that or not.”

How have you and the rest of Rho Kappa gotten the word out about voting?

“I talk to my friends at church. I just tell them, ‘hey you should vote.’” At our school, we [Rho Kappa] just depended on the morning announcements and the announcements on the tv. That one week before the deadline we had different speeches and got on the school’s Twitter account.”

What advice would you give to first-time voters?

“Doing your research is important, even if you are not registered to vote. Campaigns for the 2020 Presidential elections are going to kickoff after the midterm elections in about a week. In 2020, I think most of the [current] student body is going to be able to vote. Doing your research before you actually vote matters, even if it [the elections] is two weeks away. Get involved in your community. See what’s needed in your community and what the community needs less of. Like if you are involved with Habitat for Humanity, if there is a politician who supports that, you can do your research about that and maybe vote for them once you can vote. Definitely, do your research about each candidate and each amendment that you feel like you support and don’t just vote because you don’t like the party. There are so many ways to be informed that there is no excuse not to [be].”

As the next generation of voters, it is our responsibility to vote and have our voices heard. Make sure to get involved in the elections, even if you are not yet old enough to vote. You can spread the word about voting with your friends, volunteer to work the polls, and educate yourself on the candidates. Every bit makes a difference.