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 year-olds. 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”
