The right to vote is an important foundation of America as a country. Normally, voting in elections is deemed an adult thing to do or something kids don’t worry about. Over the past few years, teens across the country have become more and more involved in politics. Protesting, educating, spreading news, and staying informed are only a few of the things teens have actively started pursuing. During September, Shadow Ridge seniors come together to get teens to become registered voters.

During 2020, there was one of the most important presidential elections of all time, and the younger voters throughout America stepped up. It was reported that half the youth voted in the election, and there was an 11 point spike of voters from that age group, as compared to the 2016 presidential election. Even in Nevada, 53% of people ages 18-29 voted,  Tisch College reports. But, even before this massive youth turnout, Shadow Ridge has been getting teens registered. For the last 5 years, Mr. Nighswonger’s class has been hosting and putting together a Voter Drive. The purpose of the drive is to get teens registered as voters and to teach them the importance of voting. 

“Teens registering to vote is so important for our generation. The more generation Z voters there are, the more our voices will be heard,¨ senior Alysia Aspizzu said. 

September 28th was National Voter Registration Day, and this was when the drive took place. People from the Secretary of State’s office and other voter groups came to the government classrooms to help get students registered. In Nevada, registering to vote is simple. All that needs to be done is a person needs to fill out a voter registration form, and the only documentation that is required is a state-issued ID or a social security number.

The voter drive has helped many Shadow Ridge students register to vote and it wouldn’t have been possible without Football Coach/Teacher/Democracy Lover, Mr. Nighswonger.

“Teens are the future of our country. You are the ones that will continue to lead us to our, “More Perfect Union.” I believe in you!!!,” says Nighswonger.

5 years ago, Nighswonger had the great idea of getting teens to become registered voters, and ever since then, he’s been doing exactly that. In his own words, Nighswonger said that the purpose of the drive was to “get as many students ready to participate in our democracy as possible,” and that’s exactly what happened. This year, 80% of the senior class became registered voters. 

To learn more about registering and voting, go to vote.org. To learn more about  Nevada’s voting laws, go to https://www.vote.org/state/nevada/.