Engaging in Elections

The moment you turn eighteen you are entitled to participate in voting whether that be in your local, state, or national elections. For voters, the primary election that takes place every four years allows one to support candidates with similar beliefs and values to their own. A majority of the student body at Polson High School cannot vote yet, however that doesn’t mean it’s not important. What students should take into consideration before voting involves many factors, but students should ask themselves some key things, what do they value and believe and how can that amplify their voice through voting?

In the typical presidential election cycle the two candidates who receive the most primary votes will make it through the presidential primaries, and then the general election will take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. After a person casts their ballot their vote goes to a state-wide tally. Then in 48 states and Washington D.C. the candidate voted for by majority will automatically receive all the electoral votes for that state. Each state gets as many electoral votes as they have representatives in Congress. A presidential candidate needs at least 270 of these votes to win office. There have been some instances where one candidate will win the popular vote but lose in the Electoral College, such as Hillary Clinton did in the 2016 Presidential Election against Donald Trump. 

The irregular circumstances for this year’s candidates made this election quite an important one. On one hand, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate and now president-elect, ran  for a non-consecutive second term, while on the other hand, Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, didn’t take part in the presidential primaries and replaced President Joe Biden when he dropped out of the race. Thomas Spencer, government teacher at PHS, said, “Students are living in a time that their grandchildren will ask them questions about and should pay attention.” He thinks the weight of the presidential election will depend on how the senate race in Montana goes. “We have a strong Democrat in Jon Tester who to some degree holds a great deal of power in that body because of his party's slim majority and Sheehy who is polling well and leads Tester by 8 points,” said Spencer. This year all House of Representative and 34 Senate seats were contested. The Republicans, who have a majority in the House of Representatives, control the House, as do the Democrats in the senate for now. Ryan Zinke and Monica Tranel for the House polled  close, and in the case of Tranel’s victory, it could’ve aided the Democrats in taking control of the House. However, Republican Zinke won this election and it’s still undecided who will control it. There is a principle of divided or unified government. In a unified government that would mean either party would control the White House and have a majority in the house and senate. With a majority of Republicans already in the Senate and the newly elected Republican President Donald Trump, if the Republicans win the house as well it will result in a unified government.  

According to Spencer, students should pursue a rejuvenated and energetic relationship with their local governments. He said, “There are less people in our legislative districts than there are in the country. So if ten of your friends decide that they are going to vote or not, that sometimes can be the difference.” He has heard many seniors complain about Pirate Pursuits,  which is an example of local government. The school is governed by a school board, and they decided that Pirate Pursuits is a new requirement for seniors to graduate. And any student who wants to complain to the school board has the opportunity to do so. If the student doesn’t like the outcome, they could petition the board. “Our system is predicated on subsidiarity, meaning that the most local government should be where we start, then work our way up,” said Spencer. He thinks that people should know their city council, county commissioners, and state legislatures because they should be more accountable for their people.

Senior Wyatt Bulette, who is eligible to vote, stated that the most important thing about the general election is “in at least the Montana election coming up, it is really important because it will decide the Senate.” He would consider local or state elections more important than the presidential election. He said “It’s easier to see an impact when it comes to state or local elections because the changes are happening right where you live. You can see impacts in your school or around the county.” Junior Tucker Bohn said, “I think it’s important because it gives Americans the chance to choose who’s going to control their country.” Junior Ashlin Peters said, “Voting is important because it’s a big decision for the future of the country. Whether or not your vote has an impact alone it’s still important because the country benefits from it.” Collectively the students were curious about what was on the general election ballot. The ballot differs for each state and county. The typical ballot includes Federal, State, and County elections as well as constitutional initiatives. 

A fundamental part of American liberty is having the right to vote once you are eighteen or older. Senior Wyatt Bulette voted in the 2024 election and he said, “I think it’s my duty as a citizen because with all the positive things we have to live with in the United States and all the benefits we have, we have to give something back.” When it comes to voting making an impact he completely agrees. Bulette said, “A lot of people our age like to say ‘I’m not going to vote because my vote doesn’t really matter.’ But if everyone says that then who is going to be voting? I feel like the younger generation, it matters a lot that we get our votes out there.”

When students turn eighteen, he thinks it’s very important for them to vote because there needs to be more youth in the political space. Similarly, Peters said, “I feel like a lot of people won’t be voting because they feel like their vote doesn’t actually do anything, which causes a loss in votes that could have done something (in the bigger schemes of the election). So on its own it’s not that big of a deal, but when you add up the numbers on a bigger scale, it seems more impactful.” She also thinks it's important for students to vote as soon as they turn eighteen because “A lot of the votes are in the hands of older people who aren’t going to be around when the stuff they’re voting in gets implemented. So if you’re younger you should be voting because your life is going to be impacted by the outcomes of these votes.” Bohn added, “I think voting makes an impact because if we didn’t vote and whoever got picked they might not align with your values. At least voting gives each person a chance to pick someone who does align with their values to an extent.” Spencer only thinks students should vote if they have done the proper research. He thinks “A person's vote should be an expression, and in totality should be an expression of the will of the people.” If people are ignorant rather than confident that can be harmful. Spencer expressed that when people are voting it should be based on a great deal of knowledge, wisdom, and experience. When one does it out of obligation, it can be ignorant. Unless people have a strong moral foundation, they are just voting because they feel like they need to. He would “encourage people to humble themselves, especially students, and learn more.” Bohn also thinks that if a person isn’t really educated on the election they should do more research before voting.

Political influence could play a major role in the deciding factor for a voter. Each student that was interviewed implied that the way people around them voted would have a big influence on how they voted or others. Bulette stated, “It's important that one develops their own views and that students get out into the work field, and do community service/customer service so they can get their own view on taxes because they wouldn’t really care about taxes unless they were coming out of their paycheck.”

As juniors at PHS, students are required to take either U.S. or AP U.S. History and seniors either Government or AP Government. However, are what students learn in these classes preparing them to vote once they are 18? Peters said, “I feel like in a way, yes, but at the same time, you don’t cover it for very long. It’s not something that we go super into depth about and more people are likely to vote just based on party. School isn’t really helping change the way people vote.” However, Bulette said, “I think so. I have Mr. Spencer right now for AP Government, and he does a really good job at questioning our beliefs rather than pushing beliefs onto us.” In Spencer's government classes, he teaches “all the technical knowledge that citizens should know so they can apply those principles to changing political and economic landscapes. It is my duty to communicate important concepts and facts about the government but it is not my place to act as a partisan,” said Spencer.

Whether you have already voted or can’t vote just yet, take the time to look through voter guides and sample ballots which can provide helpful resources to gain information on the candidates and ballot measures. Voter guides list who you can vote for and offer details on each candidate's experiences and goals as well as explain ballot measures or specific questions and issues that you can approve or reject. Sample ballots provide what you will see on your actual ballot. By taking these steps, you can learn more about what you value as a U.S. citizen and take the steps necessary to be prepared before you vote.