As Tuesday, November 5, 2024, draws closer, discussion about this year’s presidential race has skyrocketed at SHS–especially during history and government classes. Many SHS students have been following the election news, and approximately 28% of the senior class is eligible to vote.
Historically, youth political involvement has been low compared to other age groups. This year, however, citizens are seeing increasing involvement from Generation Z and a stronger push to win over young voters. Both parties have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in social media marketing campaigns and even teenage interns to aid their cause.
Additionally, the late change in candidacy on the Democratic side has added to this enthusiasm about the election. According to SHS AP U.S. Government teacher Heather Willinger, the change on the ticket has led to “reinvigorated excitement about it, especially on the Democratic side.” Many also express excitement regarding the chances of having a female president, something Americans have never experienced.
When asked about where they are getting their election information, many students said their primary news sources are TikTok and Instagram. However, as SHS senior Alayna Medugno pointed out, this doesn’t always mean the information is not credible, as many credible news sources have made verified accounts on both platforms. “A lot of news networks are on social media platforms, and a lot of sources can be credible,” Medugno noted. As stated previously, both candidates have invested in social media marketing, including verified accounts across all platforms, as more people are noticing videos from accounts like @kamalahq and @realdonaldtrump.
News outlets have been reporting a notable political divide between young women and men–and a difference in their involvement and interest. Since women’s rights have been a commonly discussed topic regarding the upcoming election, many young women are saying this is further fueling their passion for current politics. Moreover, when asked about their passion regarding the election, many female SHS student voters claimed they were “moderately passionate” about the candidates and their policies. On the other hand, every SHS male voter we spoke to claimed they were “not passionate at all” about the current politics, but they still planned to vote. This doesn’t differ from patterns we have seen before throughout history, though it does provide hope that more young voters will vote in comparison to other years, regardless of personal impact.
As election day is now less than a week away, candidates are rolling out their final arguments. Meanwhile, more and more people are voting early at Scituate Town Hall. The actual process takes about ten minutes, and you can visit vote.org for more information.