At this point in the semester, inboxes are more than full from course and club notifications alike. Nestled in these batches of bulletins are dates and website links to voting resources.
We are witnessing a period of proactive civic involvement. In New Jersey, college students are gearing up for gubernatorial elections, while high schoolers have gotten their footing in the election process months ago.
While some cities around the country allow 16 and 17-year-olds to participate in local school board elections, New Jersey is the first to introduce a bill that came as a response to a statewide student-led campaign. Students in Newark’s public schools were able to take part in before and after-school voting in April for the first time.
Movements like these reflect young people’s attitudes towards election participation, and more importantly, indicate an investment in the future. Understandably, our investment finds itself handcuffed to what’s happening right now on the federal stage. However, it would be false to claim that local elections don’t call for our attention when they decide who represents Essex County and all of the New Jersey counties, on Capitol Hill.
Towards the end of September, Virginia introduced an “early voting” option, a choice beneficial for everyone, especially college students – many of whom work and attend to additional responsibilities outside of school. New Jersey already implemented early voting – directions can be found on the New Jersey Voter Information Portal, which outlines important dates and requirements for each county.
We have seen now that student voter engagement arises from functional initiatives. There are internal ones, such as Montclair State University’s Office of Civic and Voter Engagement, hosting numerous events throughout the semester. One of which was on National Voter Registration Day, intending to get students registered for the gubernatorial election. External organizations, such as the non-partisan “ALL IN Challenge,” can also be found partnered with the school, having awarded Montclair State for engagement in both presidential and midterm elections since joining in 2017. It is usually assumed that once you register, you are more likely to vote: the number of Montclair State students who registered from 2018 to 2022 has increased, which is a hopeful benchmark for that goal (NSLVE Campus Report, 2024).
It is already presumed that we care about the decisions being made for us. The proof is found in our willingness to take action, in whatever manner is made available to us as students… and for that matter, manners made available by students.
This is something for us to feel good about, to take pride in these strides. It is acceptable to feel this, even if we perceive the celebration living in the shadow of larger, more forceful events. Recently, the Supreme Court plans to revisit two cases surrounding the VRA or Voting Rights Act (ABC News). One reconsiders if using race to draw districts, which is protected in Section 2 of the VRA, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution.
The other is an appeal to the ruling that states only the Department of Justice (DOJ) can uphold Section 2. The purpose of Section 2 is to make sure minority voters are evenly distributed and represented. By extension, the consequence of only the DOJ making those calls would strip citizens and civil rights groups of the ability to sue for discriminatory practices (State Court Report).
Not acknowledging the repercussions of these possible law changes would be an underhanded act of oblivion. It is yet another statement of reality to say the future of our natural rights hangs in the balance. Such a sentiment can dilate anxieties that otherwise would not be so imposing.
With unprecedented maneuvers, certainly, there will always be pushback coming from somewhere. There are reactions from both sides of the aisle, from the government and its citizens. The way that struggle appears changes with time, but it has always been present – a daunting conclusion to accept but not entirely ill-fated.
It is not just inspirational but a matter of reality – uncertainty can invoke and mobilize just as much as it can unmotivate and quell. With outcomes like this in mind, it is all the more reason to keep the ball rolling and the ballots flowing.
Local elections are set to take place on Nov. 4, 2025.
