November 8, election day, is approaching, and people are getting ready to cast their votes for our next president.  With almost 241 million eligible voters in the country, 51 million Americans are not registered to vote.

The United States has one of the lowest voter turnouts compared to other countries.  Some countries such as Belgium, Turkey, and Australia have mandatory voting, and it seems to work well for them.  In 2012, 53.6% of the United States voting-age population actually voted.  People are not voting because they either do not care about politics, they do not know how to register, or they do not prefer any of the candidates.

To get your voter registration card, you have to fill out an application and answer basic questions about yourself.  It takes a few weeks to actually get your card in, so it is important that you give yourself enough time before the election. You are not required to be eighteen when you apply for a voter registration card, but you have to be eighteen by the day of the election.

Senior government teacher Ms. Lou Ann McKibben helped a lot of students get registered in time.  Students could go to her room to get an application and she mailed it out for them.  A lot of students at Jackson Prep, mostly seniors, are now eligible to vote.  I interviewed some students who are going to be able to vote in a few weeks.

Jordan Davis, a senior, has already voted for president in the primary.  Even though she was 17 at the time, if you are 18 by the actual election, you can vote in the primary leading up to the election.  She will also be voting in the regular elections in November.  Jordan filled out a sheet online and mailed it to the voting registration office at her county courthouse.

Hannah Plunkett, a senior, filled out the voting form and sent it out to the Hinds county courthouse.  She said she is excited to wear a sticker that says “I voted” and she will wear that sticker proudly.  Hannah says she is excited to exercise her right to vote although she is not too excited for the candidates.

Brady Culbertson, a senior, filled out a voting form from Ms. Mckibben.  He plans on voting, but he says the only reason he is voting for this election is for Supreme Court appointees.

Mary Dunbar, another senior, voted in the primary in March. A concern of hers is the well being of our country. She is also quite worried about the votes being counted accurately. There have been reports of voters’ ballots being flipped in several states including Florida, Pennsylvania, California, and Maryland. “I hope young people, like me, realize that whoever is elected will affect our future tremendously.”

Whoever is elected needs to do what is best for our country and its people. Despite the unpopular candidates, everyone needs to get out and vote for the future of our country because it is a right that every American should not take for granted.