Fourth Estate/Viviana Smith
Student organizations encourage the Mason community to vote in the 2023 legislative elections.
BY MADDIE GIERBER, STAFF WRITER
Last month, Virginia’s Nov. 6 general election put Democrats back in control of the House while maintaining their control of the Senate with a 21-19 majority.
Mason students voted at Merten Hall, which counted a total of 225 ballots for this election. 224 voters checked in to vote at Merten Hall on Mason’s Fairfax campus. 112 voters registered the same day, with 3 voters non-same day registration provisionals.
With all 140 legislative seats up for grabs and Virginia being only one of four states with a 2023 legislative election, Democratic leaders are hopeful the results are indicative of the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
Meanwhile, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin will face more Democratic opposition on policies such as his proposed 15-week abortion ban.
Mason Student Government encouraged their fellow students to exercise their right to vote by hosting booths in order to incentivize and reward voters.
Sophomore Kaylee Fernandez, Vice Chair for Government and Community Relations, said, “A lot of people do think that voting and presidential elections are a lot more important than local elections.”
Fernandez explains that local elections allow voters to influence areas of local government from policies about education to public works.
Another group encouraging young voters to head to the polls was Next Gen, a campus organization developed to help students register to vote and participate in elections.
Next Gen member, Junior Olivia Nealon, believes getting young voters active is a vital part of encouraging elected officials to consider their needs.
“Politicians often discount ideas and issues that are important to young people,” Nealon said. “It’s really important that young people get out and make their voices heard so politicians take us seriously in the future.”
Reflecting on how this week’s election will impact upcoming races, Government Community Relations Secretary, Junior Fenia Lampiranidou, explains that young voters should not underestimate the value of their vote.
“Being a collective and having the need to represent ourselves is really important because this is what creates our democracy,” Lamprianidou said.
Nealon hopes the efforts of Next Gen and Mason Student Government will help students understand local elections are often won by a narrow margin and lay the foundation for more publicized races.
“Get out and make sure your vote is heard in every single election,” Nealon said. “Once you vote it becomes a habit and you’re more likely to vote again.”
Chair of the Government and Community Relations Committee, Sophomore Ilia Sheikholeslami, reminds students that voting is just one of many ways they can participate in local government.
“You can reach out to representatives, you can protest, you can organize movements. Voting is an important tool, but it’s not your only tool to get your voice out,” Sheikholeslami said. “But it’s still one of the most important tools that you have.”
Students can access more information about voting at MasonVotes.
