The 2022 midterm elections, which took place on Nov. 8, led to Marlborough students taking steps to be politically active in various ways, such as hosting voter registration drives, running postcarding campaigns and casting their first-ever ballots.
This year, a number of important elections took place to fill positions in both local and federal offices. To get involved in these elections, many students supported the campaigns of candidates that aligned with their political values. One such student was Young Democrats Club Leader Violet ‘23, who supported the campaigns of candidates like mayoral candidate Karen Bass and Congresswoman Katie Porter. Violet and the Young Democrats Club participated in activities like postcarding, text-banking and canvassing for candidates who focused on issues that matter to them, such as protecting reproductive rights.
“Making my voice heard and advocating for the issues that matter to me is important because the policies being put in place are going to affect us now and will affect us in the future,” Violet said. “So, I’ve found that politics is a place where I can support my community and make a difference that I can see.”
Additionally, Marlborough’s new Students Demand Action Club, which focuses on ending gun violence, recently collaborated with Young Democrats to host a postcarding event backing Democratic candidate Jay Chen, who supports gun reform policies. They wrote over 200 postcards encouraging voters in swing districts to participate in the midterm elections.
“Students deserve to feel safe at school and we are really focused on supporting candidates who are making this topic a priority,” Marlborough Students Demand Action Co-Founder Rachel ‘25 added.
Other students focused on increasing voter registration and turnout in these elections in a non-partisan manner. In 2020, Juliette ’23 started Future Voters of Southern California, a partnership with the Civics Center, to encourage voter registration among teens and young adults. This year, Future Voters of Southern California hosted a voter registration drive in the weeks leading up to the midterms to register eligible students for the midterms or pre-register students for future elections. Juliette believes voting is critical both to learn about the issues impacting our country and to make a difference in our nation’s future.
“I think that a lot of people lose sight of how important one vote actually is, but one vote times a million 18-to-25 year olds can make a big difference,” Juliette said.
Finally, some Marlborough students were able to participate in this election and cast their first-ever ballot. Many eligible seniors expressed their excitement about being able to vote for the first time and why they felt it was important to vote.
“I voted because I felt like if I have the opportunity to share my voice in a democratic setting, it’s my responsibility to do so,” Kristina ‘23 said.