What issues matter to you the most in this election? Why?
LGBTQ+ rights, because those have been under high contention in the country recently, then access to women’s health care, specifically reproductive rights—again, a highly contentious topic.
How do those issues connect to your life and the lives of those you care about?
I have a lot of friends who are assigned female at birth, and I, myself, was as well. Reproductive rights would directly affect our lives, and I enjoy having rights. Same thing with queer issues: in Missouri, gender-affirming health care for trans youth is banned. They also tried to pass a bill that would make any teacher who supported even just social transition, calling a kid by their name and their pronouns, [to] make them register as a sex offender. So it’d be nice to have a president who could institute some protections.
When did you first start caring about these issues? Was there an event that happened or a conversation you had that piqued your interest?
I remember the 2016 election was probably the biggest one for me. It was when I was in fourth grade. I was old enough to understand how elections worked, and the importance that they had, but also young enough to not really have a bunch of prior political involvement. So that just kind of spurred me into political awareness.
If you could take a class on one or more of these issues or dig deeper through your own research, what else would you want to know? What questions would you want answered?
I feel like I’ve done a lot of research because they are very relevant issues, but I do have questions about political processes.
What issues do other young people around you seem to be concerned with, whether you agree with them or not? In other words, when your friends and classmates are discussing something politics-related, what’s the conversation usually about?
Gun control, human rights, abortion access, healthcare and the presidential race.
Do you think people your age can affect meaningful change regarding these issues? Why or why not? Have you ever taken any steps to try to address these problems?
Absolutely. Even without voting, one can participate in society and make a difference. Volunteer, fundraise, petition lawmakers… And yes, I have done many things to cause change.
Have you been following the presidential race? Do you know where the two candidates, former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, stand on your issues? Which candidate, if either, do you think will make positive changes to the things you care about? Why?
Yes and yes.
Are there other candidates for local, state or federal offices who have the power to make positive change about the issues that matter most to you? Who are they, and why do you hope they are elected?
Yeah, the governor can because they repeal certain acts and get them passed. It’s just a matter of district things.
Do you think young voters will be energized by the 2024 election? Do you predict that they will be motivated to vote this year? Why or why not?
I think people are going to fall into one of two camps. One being, “my vote doesn’t matter, because it’s like one out of a bunch.” I think that’ll mostly be people who aren’t super educated, and then there will be people who are very motivated to vote now, thinking, “I need to vote.” It’s very important. And there’s not going to be a ton of middle ground.
