Vote for… Vote for.. Vote for… This is what we all hear as the primary election every May and the general election every November approach. The bigger the election, the louder and longer the campaign is. For the general election in November 2020, we already have presidential candidates dropping out of the race.

The president isn’t the only person we vote for. In Spokane, the number of registered voters who filled out their ballots peaks every four years when a presidential election is taking place. This year’s primary election saw only 34.4% of registered voting filling out ballots according to county archives.

Mike McLaughlin, Spokane County’s election manager, estimates that “around 80% of the eligible voters are registered (in Spokane County).”

That means that 112,094 people out of approximately 391,000 Spokane County residents voted this May. Primary elections almost always have a smaller turnout. 15,004 more people were registered to vote in 2019’s primary than they were in 2018’s general election.  The general election in 2018 saw 143,569 people vote. That means 41.6% of the registered voters actually voted.

Voting determines who represents us at a local, state, and national level. The taxes we pay on coffee, textbooks and gas are all influenced by who we vote to represent us.

Why do you care? It can feel like something you’re not able to understand. Most of the items on the ballot don’t strike us as vital. But little things can add up. A measure or initiative might not affect you but it might impact other laws that you do care about. There’s a new vaccine law for children and their professional caregivers, paid or volunteer, that is just now taking effect. This plays a role in the lives of students who are parents or work with kids. Want to know more, check out the story on page #10.

To be able to vote, you need to register first. In Washington state, you can register to vote once you’re 16. To do so, you can go online, fill out a form and mail it in, or visit a local registration office and do it in person.

Oct. 28 is the deadline to register or update your registration online or via mail for the next election. The next election is a general election. General elections take place every year on Nov. 5. After Oct. 28, you have until the day of the election at 8pm to do so in person at the Elections Office located at 1033 W Gardner Ave., Spokane, WA 99201.

To register online, you’ll need a Washington state drivers license, permit or ID card. If you don’t have one, you can still register by mail or in person.

Interested in learning more about registration? Sarah Knowles, SFCC’s Associated Student Government (ASG) Legislative/Finance Director, said that ASG is working on an event to provide students with information in as many languages as possible.

Once you turn 18, you can vote even if you turn 18 the day of the election. To do so, just go to the election office once you’re 18 and they can help you so you’re able to fill out your ballot.

According to the National Census Bureau, the number of citizens from ages 18 to 29 that have voted has only been in the majority (more than 50%) two years, 1992 and 2008, since 1980. It was as low as 40% in 1996 and 2000.

The older the voter, the more likely they are to vote. That means the people deciding what the future looks like might be dead when those decisions take place and are more likely to no longer be with us when the results of those policies take effect.

If you don’t like what the future looks like, you can change it simply by voting. Protests are a powerful tool that can influence the future. Imagine what our tomorrow could look like if those voices were paired with cast ballots. We’d start seeing the future we dream of.

Vote for… Vote for.. Vote for… This is what we all hear as the primary election every May and the general election every November approach. The bigger the election, the louder and longer the campaign is. For the general election in November 2020, we already have presidential candidates dropping out of the race.

The president isn’t the only person we vote for. In Spokane, the number of registered voters who filled out their ballots peaks every four years when a presidential election is taking place. This year’s primary election saw only 34.4% of registered voting filling out ballots according to county archives.

Mike McLaughlin, Spokane County’s election manager, estimates that “around 80% of the eligible voters are registered (in Spokane County).”

That means that 112,094 people out of approximately 391,000 Spokane County residents voted this May. Primary elections almost always have a smaller turnout. 15,004 more people were registered to vote in 2019’s primary than they were in 2018’s general election.  The general election in 2018 saw 143,569 people vote. That means 41.6% of the registered voters actually voted.

Voting determines who represents us at a local, state, and national level. The taxes we pay on coffee, textbooks and gas are all influenced by who we vote to represent us.

Why do you care? It can feel like something you’re not able to understand. Most of the items on the ballot don’t strike us as vital. But little things can add up. A measure or initiative might not affect you but it might impact other laws that you do care about. There’s a new vaccine law for children and their professional caregivers, paid or volunteer, that is just now taking effect. This plays a role in the lives of students who are parents or work with kids. Want to know more, check out the story on page #10.

To be able to vote, you need to register first. In Washington state, you can register to vote once you’re 16. To do so, you can go online, fill out a form and mail it in, or visit a local registration office and do it in person.

Oct. 28 is the deadline to register or update your registration online or via mail for the next election. The next election is a general election. General elections take place every year on Nov. 5. After Oct. 28, you have until the day of the election at 8pm to do so in person at the Elections Office located at 1033 W Gardner Ave., Spokane, WA 99201.

To register online, you’ll need a Washington state drivers license, permit or ID card. If you don’t have one, you can still register by mail or in person.

Interested in learning more about registration? Sarah Knowles, SFCC’s Associated Student Government (ASG) Legislative/Finance Director, said that ASG is working on an event to provide students with information in as many languages as possible.

Once you turn 18, you can vote even if you turn 18 the day of the election. To do so, just go to the election office once you’re 18 and they can help you so you’re able to fill out your ballot.

According to the National Census Bureau, the number of citizens from ages 18 to 29 that have voted has only been in the majority (more than 50%) two years, 1992 and 2008, since 1980. It was as low as 40% in 1996 and 2000.

The older the voter, the more likely they are to vote. That means the people deciding what the future looks like might be dead when those decisions take place and are more likely to no longer be with us when the results of those policies take effect.

If you don’t like what the future looks like, you can change it simply by voting. Protests are a powerful tool that can influence the future. Imagine what our tomorrow could look like if those voices were paired with cast ballots. We’d start seeing the future we dream of.