If we want our school to improve, we need to give the average student more power. Students should have a voice in more school decisions and be properly educated in the election process.

The ASB elections need to matter. We need every student to have a say by voting, not just the few that heard about the process.

Our democracy is plagued with wide scale apathy and politicians that are out of touch. We need to change this and it starts with students voting in school elections

The Associated Student Body Leadership (ASB) is a part of the school that organize rallies, makes student government decisions, and in the direct line of communication between the administration and the student body.

We have a problem with the lack of competition in our elections. Last year, only one candidate for the officer positions was not already part of ASB. This year there are two.

When given the ballots, there was one option for many of the positions. Running without opposition is the sign of a poor democracy. This year there are three positions without competition

The student body is not properly given the information and tools to run or vote. Most students that would be interested in running have no idea how to join the election.

Despite the abysmal voter turnout and the lack of competition in our elections, the administration has ignored the election process entirely. This needs to change.

“When more and more people don’t care about politics, when they don’t vote, we 0ften move closer and closer toward a dictatorship. There are responsibilities to being a citizen if we want to keep our democracy.” Government teacher Fred Beale said.

My point is that this culture of apathy toward politics is fostered when few care about our elections. It is our duty to vote and the school is not teaching us this.

Instead, it is teaching us that if we are at the right place at the right time, we’ll learn about the basics of democracy. This cannot be the case.

If we want there to be change, then we need to be it. If we want to reap the benefits of our republic, we must invest in it by giving it our attention and by taking five minutes of our time and voting.

The administration and ASB are very good at what they try to do. When a rally comes up, they put in all of their effort and create a great experience. The administration for one reason or another has neglected to embrace student civic engagement.

When the playing field potentially had cancerous elements in it, the administration ripped it up with great efficiency. It is time to stand up and demand fair elections, where everyone is informed. Together, we must prove that we are a generation that cares about its future by voting.