Davon Harris (seated), who coordinated KIPP NYC Faculty Prep College’s get-out-the-vote marketing campaign, celebrated Election Day 2024 with newly-registered youth voters.
Picture Emily Swanson
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A six-week marketing campaign at KIPP NYC Faculty Prep Excessive College within the South Bronx helped 60 highschool seniors change into first-time voters, simply in time for this 12 months’s all-important presidential election.
In a borough that already lags behind the remainder of the town in voter turnout, younger individuals are particularly underrepresented. Bronx County ranks final within the state within the voter registration fee amongst 18-year-olds, in response to analysis by The Civics Middle, a nonprofit working to extend younger grownup voter participation. Simply 18.6% of 18-year-old Bronx residents are registered to vote in comparison with 40% of 18-year-olds throughout the state, the report mentioned.
Colleges like KIPP are devoting time and power to turning these statistics round. The varsity started its marketing campaign on Sept. 17, which is Nationwide Voter Registration Day, and culminated initially of the early voting interval, mentioned Davon Harris, who coordinated the trouble.
On Election Day, the varsity held a celebration, full with catered meals from Chick-Fil-A, to acknowledge those that reached what Harris known as a “milestone of adulthood.”
He and others labored to register not solely college students but additionally their households and different group members who got here to highschool occasions. In the long run, KIPP registered 60 youth and 220 others to vote for the primary time.
Harris mentioned he hopes the thrill amongst this 12 months’s new voters will trickle right down to youthful college students and others all through the varsity and group.
“I think this campaign has been like a catalyst of change in their lives,” mentioned Harris.
Picture Emily Swanson
Shaylee Rochez, who lives in Morrisania, turned 18 lower than a month in the past and voted on the morning of Election Day along with her mother. However it was the daughter — not her mom — who emphasised the significance of voting on this election, Rochez mentioned.
Rochez mentioned her mother “was conflicted on even voting, period” — however she satisfied her to do it and shared info she realized from watching clips of Harris and Trump’s marketing campaign rallies.
“I kind of influenced her to vote, so when she came with me today, I was very moved by that,” Rochez mentioned.
She acknowledged that folks of colour and younger individuals typically really feel discouraged from voting, however she mentioned she needed her vote to set an instance for others. “Your vote does matter, and it does count.”
Rochez credited KIPP with serving to lower by means of confusion and misinformation to get easy-to-understand, nonpartisan details about easy methods to register, the place to vote and the way main and normal elections work. And the race for president was an enormous motivating issue, mentioned Rochez. Although reporters weren’t allowed to ask college students about candidates they voted for, “Being a part of [the presidential race] was very special to me,” Rochez mentioned.
Rochez transferred to KIPP simply final 12 months, and with out the school-based marketing campaign, she possible would have confronted extra obstacles in attempting to vote, she mentioned.
“I’m very anxious specifically for the results — but overall, the process has been wonderful, and I’m very grateful for that,” mentioned Rochez. Whether or not Kamala Harris or Donald Trump wins the presidency, “I’m just overall thankful for the experience. I did my part,” she mentioned.
Jaden Faulk, who turned 18 in August, mentioned he has lengthy been excited to change into sufficiently old to have voting rights. “When you turn 18, you get access to a lot of new stuff,” he mentioned.
Faulk mentioned he cares most about selling racial unity, slicing inflation and customarily securing equal rights for all individuals, “no matter how they identify themselves or present themselves.”
Faulk registered to vote by means of KIPP and is heading to the polls later right now. Regardless that he nonetheless would have voted with out the varsity’s get-out-the-vote effort, “it was easy” to do it by means of college, he mentioned.
To younger individuals who doubt the purpose of voting, Faulk mentioned he would flip the query again on them: “Does your voice matter?” And if the reply is sure, then they need to vote too, he mentioned.
“I feel like our voices matter equally,” mentioned Faulk. “Our voices should be heard, and our opinions should be heard.”
Faulk mentioned his mom voted in 2016 however his household is just not typically politically energetic. Now that he has gotten off to a powerful begin, he vowed to pay extra consideration to politics and to vote in future elections.
Faulk mentioned voting right now will probably be a aid. “It will definitely take a weight off my chest, because this is something I’ve been looking forward to.”
Like Rochez, Faulk mentioned he’ll anxiously begin monitoring outcomes as they arrive in tonight. However exercising the fitting to vote is its personal reward, he mentioned. “As long as I get my vote in, I feel like I achieved something.”
