Despite only having a single electoral vote, Omaha’s “blue dot” has been a hot topic for months with its potential power. Even prominent, national news organizations have recognized the “dot’s” influence in Tuesday’s presidential election.
“There’s a plausible scenario in which Harris wins the Rust Belt battlegrounds and Donald Trump wins the Sun Belt ones — in which case that single vote, from the residents of Omaha and its suburbs, would break a tie between the candidates and determine the future of America,” politics reporter for the Washington Post, Kara Voght said in her Oct. 16 article, “Most of Red America’s ‘blue dots’ can’t help Harris win. But this one might.”
However, the real voters inside the “dot” are more than headlines. Whether they will contribute to the “blue dot” or try to turn it red, the young voters of Gretna East plan to have their voices heard this election.
“It’s such a big opportunity, and young people have such big voices that people listen to, and so we have a lot of opportunity to change the world,” senior Elena Bunker said.
The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement estimates that 8 million members of Gen-Z will be voting for the first time this election year.
“I think it’s important for younger people to vote because we’re the next upcoming generation,” senior Jackson Windeknecht said. “It kind of shows what we want to happen, and we can finally have a say and a voice in making change.”
Whether they cast their vote early with a mail-in ballot, or plan on voting in person on Tuesday, seniors feel the right to vote is a privilege.
“It’s a civil duty that I feel like I’m responsible and have to do,” Windeknecht said. “It was earned for us, so I feel like everybody should do so.”
These first-time voters say they have put the effort into developing their own political views so they can take full advantage of the opportunity to exercise their right to vote.
“No matter who you choose to vote for, it’ll have an impact,” senior Lily Matya said. “I think my job is to just do the research on my own and not have anyone really affect my choice and decision. I’ll do my research. I’ll look for each of the candidates and see which side I believe more in, and then I’ll go from there and then pick which side I’m more aligned with.”
Bunker feels similarly, and has chosen to focus on the candidate as a whole, rather than party or outside influence.
“Parties are not what they were, 5, 10, even 20 years ago,” she said. “It’s just important to put people in office, or put people in these positions of power, that share your same set of beliefs. I think that’s the most important thing. So it’s a lot about realizing the candidate over the party.”
However, before being able to vote for the first time, these seniors had to do another first– register to vote.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Windeknect said. “I had to go through a whole process, but it was a lot of fun, because it’s like your first step to adulthood, and it’s fun to become an adult.”
Despite the process, Matya found registering for the first time to be an exciting step in making an impact.
“It was so exciting,” she said. “It was very easy. I think sometimes it’s kind of daunting. A lot of my friends have been like ‘Oh, how do I do that? I don’t know how to register,’ but it literally took like three minutes, and I changed up something really important. It doesn’t take that long, but we can make a lot of change.”
With the newfound responsibility of being a registered voter, these voters have realized the importance of the decision they’re making for themselves.
“Don’t let your parents or your family members or any of your friends influence you on your decision,” Matya said. “Make your own decision. Get your research from valid sources. Don’t get them from skewed sources. Just be completely honest and try and be as unbiased as you can with how to approach things. And just keep an open mind, because sometimes you’ll be shocked by either side that you may or may not have liked, not their perspectives.”
It’s no secret that the political landscape has changed from what it once was with the current state of political polarization and division throughout the country, and first-time voters feel it’s more important than ever to cast their vote.
“It’s definitely a harder election to vote in, but I feel like it’s an important election to vote in,” Windeknecht said. “Everybody who has the ability to vote should vote.”
Despite never having cast a vote on Election Day, the seniors urge others to vote.
“You’re harming yourselves if you don’t vote,” Matya said. “You can’t complain about anything if you don’t vote. Just get your voice heard and make decisions about our country.”
