After four years, which included a global pandemic, the Jan. 6 insurrection and the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, students and alumni will return to the polls and vote in the national election—some for the first time.

According to the Pew Research Center, only about two-thirds of eligible voters participated in the 2020 election. However, some students who want to vote are ineligible due to age restrictions and registration cutoffs.

Senior Bridget Gustafson turns 18 two months before Election Day. Since childhood, Gustafson has educated herself about the presidential election. Still, becoming a voter ignited a newfound feeling of responsibility.

“Political participation by young people is crucial to democracy. That can include voting, protesting, working as an election judge and contacting government officials,” Gustafson said.

Senior Anna McAndrew’s birthday is 19 days after Election Day.

“It’s frustrating because this is a really important election,” McAndrew said. “Missouri is a red state. If I had a vote, it would matter, but it wouldn’t make a difference.”

St. Louis is one of four counties in Missouri that voted Democratic in the 2020 election, while most of the state voted Republican.

Due to this political divide, Gustafson is concerned about the issue of reproductive rights. She emphasized the significance of voter agency for an upcoming amendment on this year’s Missouri ballot that aims to supersede the state’s total abortion ban.

Furthermore, senior Lavanya Mani notes that age is one of many barriers to voting.

“There’s been a problem with not being enough voting sites in certain areas of the country,” Mani said.

Data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission shows that the number of polling places has decreased by more than 100,000 since 2018. A 2021 report by the Brennan Center of Justice shows that this disproportionately impacts minority groups and decreases overall voter turnout.

Despite inequities in voting regarding age and location, students continue to verbally engage with the election process.

Lunchtime conversations have evolved beyond class assignments and homecoming plans to include discussions about political opinions. However, Mani is hesitant to initiate conversations outside of her inner circle.

“Especially in a school that’s relatively small, like Clayton […] stuff could spiral very quickly,” Mani said. “So sometimes I feel like it’s better to just keep your mouth shut.”

Senior Hans Redington reveals that Clayton’s left-leaning majority is rooted in the lack of interparty debate, ultimately making political agendas easier to accomplish.

“Right-leaning people tend to be shunned in Clayton because of the amount of liberal residents,” Redington said.

The Carnegie Endowement for International Peace shows that Americans are less ideologically divided than they think, and instead experience affective polarization, an emotional dislike for the members of the other party.

Senior Analee Miller warns about assuming everyone in Clayton is liberal and notes a trend toward Republicanism.

“There’s a surprising number of boys at our school who are conservative,” Miller said.

According to a national poll by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, compared to 2020, the Democratic advantage in young men has decreased by 19 points in 2024. In contrast, young women experienced a two-point lead.

Redington believes his peers lean a certain way because of parental values and the way they were raised.

“I side neither fully with liberals or conservatives,” Redington said. “I believe I am more centered which actually makes it harder to talk about both sides.”

Regardless of political affiliation, teachers strive to educate students on how to participate politically by providing voting resources to its students.

“We had time where they showed us how to register [and] what websites we should bookmark to have more information about voting [in AP United States Government and Politics class],” Mani said.

Miller noted how seniors preparing to attend college encountered an unexpected prompt from the College Board website. When she logged in, it encouraged her to register.

“I didn’t expect there to be anything even remotely political on the College Board, especially since they try to stay nonpartisan,” Miller said.

McAndrew believes that this prompt will encourage more students to vote.

“College Board brings voter registration right to the kids,” McAndrew said. “This cuts out any steps that may discourage high schoolers.”

Mani sees a future where political encouragement increases, possibly led by involved students outside the classroom.

“A day where people come to the cafeteria and hand out information about voting could be helpful,” Mani said. “These changes could be vital in producing greater turnout among those who can vote.”

A 2024 PBS study notes that three in four Americans believe that the national election will influence the future of democracy in the United States.

“Citizens have a right to shape the policies defining their lives,” Mani said. “And we have to make sure that right is protected.”

This story was originally published on The Globe on October 26, 2024.