Election may be decided by youth

To vote or not to vote? That is the question that many students juggle.

But for many the answer to that question is simple, not to vote.

If students realized just how much power their votes have, they may not be so quick to answer in the negative.

In many organizations’ quests to get people out to vote, many tend to focus on the presidential election leaving the local elections secondary.

There are several local issues on this year’s ballet, ones that will have an effect on everyone who lives in Tallahassee.

“There are all these issues on there, something that will effect you and every other student in the city” said Ion Sancho, Leon supervisor of elections.

He said students need to know that it is not the federal government that controls the happenings of the city, it’s the local officials that determine things such as taxes, city construction, and the allocation of funds.

According to Thomas James of the supervisor of elections office, there are currently more than 42,000 registered voters in Leon County between the ages of 18 and 24. About less than of half of that amount usually vote.

The city of Tallahassee has experienced the power of student voting in the past.

The most recent was the electing of Andrew Gillum to the Tallahassee City Commission seat 2. In that race a large portion of student votes aided Gillum in capturing the seat.

Ion Sancho believes that it is the students that have the power to effect change here in the city of Tallahassee.

Eric Carter, 22, a native of Atlanta who is a registered voter in Leon County said he’s never voted before but plans to be active on November 2nd.

With a huge grin on his face he said that he didn’t realize voting for the right person could possibly bring down his electricity bill.

While some may wonder why people don’t not know that the local officials control the things that happen in the city, but it is actually commonly overlooked. Most students that aren’t from Tallahassee hold the mentally that they are just there for school and don’t have to take part in the happenings of the city.

Voter and political activist Diana Washington said non-voting students need to be more aware of the political forces behind their city.

“Most of these young adults will be in Tallahassee for four or more years and a lot can happen in that time period so they should want to be apart of the process that will effect their city.”

Officials insist that if students want to see a change in the way the city is run, they must get out and vote.

Sancho says this year’s election will most likely be decided by the nation’s young adult vote.

Contact D’Andre Briggs at famuannews@hotmail.com.