In the quiet polling room- a large auditorium-style armory- harbors the 2024 elections for the Lewiston area. The quiet scratches of black Bic pens on off-white cardstock and the scanning of the ballot box break the silence. The quiet peel of an “I Voted” sticker graces the ears of young first-time Maine voters.
Referendum questions, the big ‘YES’ or ‘NO”s, and both presidential and local elections reach the minds of young voters, many voting for their first time.
Three friends, Safa Morrison, May Whelan, and Bella Bigelow surround themselves with college friends and voters of all ages.
“It’s my first time voting in Maine. It is stressful…being from somewhere else and having to vote for people who live here, not just me,” said Whelan.
Whelan is not the only one affected by stress and the election. The American Psychological Association (APA) states that nearly 80% of adults claim the future of their nation to be a significant source of stress in their lives.
Additionally, 69% of adults claim the 2024 Presidential Election will directly influence their day-to-day life.
A statistic by the APA shows a steady increase in the stress levels of Americans when they are met with a presidential election year.
Young adults, however, are in the spotlight this year. Nearly 41 million new voters, particularly Generation Z, are eligible to vote.
With new voters casting their ballots on Nov. 5, it is considered one of the most influential and detrimental votes to be cast. Not only do the mainstream candidates offer new ideas, but their political strategies and approaches to securing votes differ from any other presidential election America has seen to date.
Young voters are predicted to be the turning point of the 2024 presidential election, with a range of political views, and personal segregation from others in their lives. They know that their vote matters.
Bates College, the local college in Lewiston, has nearly 1,800 students, which is significantly less than Maine’s largest college, the University of Maine Orono. Within the small, localized college, faculty members pride themselves on prioritizing students’ futures by enabling resources throughout campus and showing up to the polls themselves.
Measures like political signage and tools that help young people feel comfortable registering to vote and showing up to the polls allows for the young activists of Maine to feel safe, included and most of all, like their vote matters.
