Voting for the First Time, Student Demographic Looks for More in the Election

As Tuesday’s primary elections across the nation shaped the landscape of the election, many Arkansas high school and college students took the opportunity to vote in the first presidential election of their civic careers.

High school student Emily Osment, a Little Rock resident, said, "My voting experience was nice. The women clapped for me because I was a first-time voter."

This reporter had a similar experience at her polling site: I was the only person standing in line who was under the age of 50, and a man leaving the building said, "Look at that, a first-time voter starting her day out right!"

Even those who could not vote this year still took a great interest in the results of the primaries.

Hendrix College student Owen Roberts could not vote because he was too far from his polling place, and said, "Watching the results coming in and people’s reactions to the good, or bad, news has been very fascinating. I think that more people will turn out for the primaries than in the past, which will give a better idea of what the American people want."

Benton native Jessica Heard is underage, but was very interested in the primaries.

"I wish I could have voted," she said. "This election year is terribly important, especially for people our age. What goes on now is going to affect the majority of our lives."

Another common method of voting for college students is the absentee ballot, which is how Ruanda McFerren, a Hendrix student and Fort Smith native, voted: "My voting experience was an interesting one. I voted via an absentee ballot since I could not go home to vote. I voted for John Edwards and mailed my ballot three weeks early, before he dropped out of the race. So, my vote makes absolutely no difference."

In McFerren’s case, the fact that her vote did not count for a current candidate inspired her to research other candidates and decide on another: "I researched the candidates that were still in the race so that I could find the one who best matched my views and opinions. I now support Hillary Clinton."

The widespread student interest in the 2008 election challenges the traditional assumption that student voters are an apathetic demographic that cannot be easily mobilized or motivated.

For many students, the dialogue of change, which has pervaded policy debates within both parties, has brought home the importance of the election.

"This election is vitally important," said Lauren Bennett, a Henderson College student. "It will decide what direction our country goes. Both parties are calling for change, this election will determine what sort of changes come about."

UCA student Chaka Cumberbatch had a different reason for her interest.

"We have two candidates that represent two groups who have never been serious contenders for the presidency before, and now they're the two Democratic frontrunners. I think it's amazing, and it's a giant step forward for our country."

First-time voter and high school student in North Little Rock, Kathryn Arbuckle summarized well another reason why so many people are interested in this election more than any other year in the recent past: "I believe that the conflict in Iraq makes this election vitally important not only to the U.S. but to the entire world. Depending on who America chooses, this war could go on for years or be ended quickly and as peacefully as possible."

Despite their increased turnout, students seem to be looking for something new out of the political process, specifically in the realm of the media. Many students expressed frustration with the continuous and pervasive nature of election coverage.

"I counted down to Super Tuesday, but the media has been going a bit far with the primaries," said Bennett. "They bring in ‘experts’ to over-analyze every detail."

James Ferguson, a Harding University student, believed that the entire primary process is over-hyped.

"I think the primaries have been blown out of proportion this year with some states jumping the deadlines like Michigan, with campaigners spending millions and millions of dollars on just the primaries," he said. "It seems like candidates are spending more on the primaries than candidates spent on the election as a whole a little more than a decade ago. There is such a thing as over-advertising to the point of disinterest."