Registering to vote is just the first step in democracy
By Sabrina Samedi Special to the Acorn

When many teens turn 18 they are struck with the reality that they are now eligible to vote.

With the 2008 presidential election just around the corner, many teenagers are trying to become more knowledgeable about the world of politics. Some are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to take an affirmative stand on the future of America.

"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 to vote. (Meaning just 68.88 percent of those eligible were registered.)

The breakdown of 2007 registrants by political party showed 42.5 percent registered as Democrat, 34.2 percent as Republican and 18.8 percent registered as decline-to-state. Just 4.5 percent registered as "other."

According to Ventura County assistant registrar Jim Browning, the county currently has 373,066 registered voters. There are 142,620 Democrats, 146,987 Republicans, 7,462 American Independent Party members and 2,846 Green Party voters. The Libertarian Party counts 2,024 voters, the Peace and Freedom Party 824.

Westlake High School senior Allie Yaldezian may have echoed other teens' sentiments with her comment, "The elections are in a year. I guess I am excited. I have not really thought about it. I do not follow politics at all."

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.

Other required criteria includes that the upcoming voter is not in prison or on parole for conviction of a felony and has not 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 nor did I think too much of the whole ordeal, 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 election polls. Some teenagers find it very crucial to obtain all the proper knowledge about a candidate before making any final decisions and casting their votes.

"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. I know that at 18 I am ready to voice my opinion about the future president of this country," said Abkarians.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, older people are much more likely to be registered and to vote than younger adults. In August 2006 it was documented that voter registration rates in California were growing sharply with age as a dominating factor, ranging from 58 percent for adults under age 25 to 92 percent for adults age 65 and older. Other statistics state 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. Within California, adults age 55 and over constitute 28 percent of the state's adult population, but they represent 39 percent of those most expected to cast ballots in elections.

On the other hand, the populace under age 35 comprises 33 percent of the state's adult population, while only 18 percent are probable registered voters. However middleaged California residents, considered to be those between the ages of 35 to 54, are almost equally counted for; within the population they amount to 40 percent, and among likely voters they make up 43 percent. These statistics seem to support the view that when the campaigning season 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 because these politicians do not 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," said Sam Peykar, Senior at Beverly High School.

"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. 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," said Browning.

"I honestly cannot wait to vote! 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 to become more involved in the world of politics and current events. I want to make the best decision possible when it comes to determining the next president of the United States," said Kaleigh Coffman, a senior at WHS.

As election time nears many teens are speedily researching the details of each candidate in order to assess a proper judgment and be able 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.