First Time Voters
November 20, 2020
The 2020 election was revolutionary, to say the least. With a global pandemic and a racial awakening, this election was extremely impactful. Voting for the first time is a big milestone! Normally election days are spent waiting in lines at the polling station, and leaving with an “I voted” sticker. However, this year many opted to mail in their ballots. While this may lessen the excitement for voting the first time, our generation and many new voters had an all-time high voter turnout! We asked some first-time voters from Eagan high school about their experiences:
Nyah Rich:
What was your experience?
“I voted early with my mom and it went super smooth! I filled out an early voter sheet and gave it to the attendants and so they called my name and I sat at a table with my mom and we were able to fill it out together. And then I put it into the counter and got it counted!”
Why did you vote in this election?
“I wanted to vote because I felt like it was my responsibility to do that for my country and have my voice be heard”
Anything surprising about the registering part or actually voting?
“..They asked what my race was, I just didn’t understand why it mattered.”
Did you get a sticker?
“I did! It’s correctly in my phone case”
Trinh Nguyen:
What was your experience?
“It is exhilarating to say that one of the votes for such a memorable election was from me! I did early in-person voting to avoid the lines on Election Day. But when I was there on a Wednesday morning, I was so surprised to see so many people at the voting poll! I think that’s what made the experience more memorable- as a new voter, seeing a line of people exercising their rights gave me a rush of adrenaline. I can’t wait to vote in future elections, whether it is national or local!”
Margo Meekin:
What was your experience?
“It was super cool! I did absentee voting just because I didn’t want to wait in these lines but it was super easy. Nothing really supposed me about it but I was just so happy that so many people ended up voting this year!”
Did you get a sticker?
“Haha yes of course!”
Isabelle Pellegram:
What was your experience?
“I really enjoyed voting. I early voted the Saturday before Election Day and was a little surprised at how long the line took. I found out later that their ballot counting machine had broken, so they had to switch the process that day to more of a “mail-in ballot” like situation where you put your ballot in an envelope instead of right into a machine. But the wait wasn’t so bad since my brother and I went together and talked most of the time. I was also surprised that I wasn’t a registered voter in their system when I arrived, especially since I double-checked that I was before I left my house. But a lady who worked at city hall helped me out and it became a minor bump in the road. After that, I simply got a ballot, filled it out, and handed it in. Overall, the process was easy and only required some patience.”
Why did you vote in this election?
“I decided to vote because I wanted to use my right and because I have this unique opportunity to voice my opinion and have a small impact on what matters to me.”
Did you get a sticker?
“Yes, I did!”
