Eye study finds 60% of eligible seniors haven’t registered to vote.
By GEORGE SULLIVAN ’11
Eye Staff Reporter
The 26th Amendment of the Constitution gives the
right to vote to 18 years-old. But, with the up-coming
midterm election and control of Congress in play, some
eligible seniors are choosing to sit on the sidelines.
An analysis of school records revealed that 70 seniors
are over the age of 18 and eligible to vote in this year’s
election. Of these 70, only 29, or 41% of eligible seniors,
have registered to vote.
Although these numbers indicate a lack of interest
among teens, they are not uncommon for a midterm
election. The turnout during midterm elections—the
years between presidential elections–is consistently
low, regardless of the number of registered voters.
In the 2006 midterms, the total turnout of the voting
age population was only 37.1%. If all but three of the
registered seniors at St. Ignatius actually vote, this
percentage will be matched. However, in 2008, during
the presidential election, the total turnout of the voting
age population was 56.8%.
Should the lack of participation in this election cause
worry and debate about raising the voting age? Probably
not. But the low number of registered seniors
at St. Ignatius High School should be a concern. The
Ignatius mission statement, as stated in the \”Graduate
at Graduation”
