Turning 18 means gaining the right to vote
By Sabrina Samedi Special to the Acorn

When teens turn 18 many are struck with the reality that they are now eligible to vote. Now, with the 2008 presidential election not far off, many teenagers are trying to become more knowledgeable about the world of politics.

"I have always had my sights set on my 18th birthday because I believe that it allows me the greatest freedom of all, the eligibility to vote. With that freedom comes the ability to voice my opinion in a way that matters," said Chris Abkarians, a senior at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills.

According to the Ventura County Registrar of Voters, in February of this year 22.7 million Californians were eligible to vote, but only 15.6 million had registered. That's just 68.88 percent.

Before any newly "legal" teen can vote he or she must register with the county office.

According the VCRV, in order to be able to register to vote in California, the aspiring voter must be at least 18 years old (or will be by the date of the next election) and a legal California resident, as well as a United States citizen.

The new voter cannot be in prison or on parole for conviction of a felony and may not have been judged by a court to be mentally inept to register and to vote.

The process of registering to vote is "one of the easiest things you could do in life," said Browning. To begin the registration process, one must fill out a voter registration application form and send it to a county elections official.

The form can be filled out online, in which case it will then be mailed to the registrant for a proper signature.

The form can also be requested and picked up from the county elections official, post offices, public libraries, city halls, and/or Department of Motor Vehicles offices. To make the process even simpler, one can also call the toll-free number (800) 345-VOTE (8683) in English or (800) 345VOTA (8682) in Spanish to request that a registration application form be mailed to the registrant's home.

"For me, turning 18 seemed like any other day, and I did not feel any different, but once I got my registration forms in the mail, everything changed. It hit me that 'Wow, I am 18; I am an adult now. I can vote for the next leader of the United States,'" said Rod Blourtchi, a senior at El Camino.

Once the registration application is completed, the next step is to cast a vote at the polls.

Knowledge is power

Young people recognize the need to be informed before stepping into the ballot box.

"I keep up with politics every single day because every decision made by the Congress and our president has the potential to have a direct effect on my life, either now or sometime in the future," said Abkarians. "I know that at 18 I am ready to voice my opinion about the future president of this country."

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, older people are much more likely to be registered and to vote than younger adults. Voter registration rates in California were growing sharply in 2006 with age as a dominating factor. Other statistics show that only one in four people within the youngest age group are likely voters, while three in four people in the eldest age group are voters.

On the other hand, people under 35 comprises 33 percent of the state's adult population, while only 18 percent are probable registered voters. The statistics seem to support the view that when the campaigning starts, many candidates turn a majority of their focus toward subjects such as social security and healthcare, which are geared to grab the attention of older voters, versus issues of lower tuition costs, which mostly affect the younger voters.

"I do agree that older people are more likely to vote than today's youth due to a neverending cycle that begins with many political candidates ignoring many major issues that directly concern the younger generation," said Sam Peykar, Senior at Beverly High School. "These politicians don't expect that the youthful group can or will make much of a difference or influence in the outcome of the election. Consequently, I believe that from this neglect, younger people begin to lose faith and trust in their politicians and stop caring about the election as a whole,"

"I actually do not agree with the fact that teenagers are less likely to vote than older people because for me, I think that turning 18 is such a big deal for so many kids," said Browning. "I know that my kids were so excited to finally be able to vote. When they turned 18 the first thing they did was ask me how they could register."

"I honestly cannot wait to vote!" said Kaleigh Coffman, a senior at WHS. "Unfortunately, I have not been keeping up with politics, but the fact that I will be approaching a milestone in my life by turning 18 has motivated me. . . I want to make the best decision possible when it comes to determining the next president of the United States"

As election time nears many teens are researching the details of each candidate in order to make a decision which they believe can better our country- the United States of America.

Sabrina Samedi is a senior at Westlake High School.