In Kansas, the deadline for registering vote is October 16, also known as today. To many it’s any other Monday to trudge through, ready at last for the break, but it’s a significant date for many others. Dozens of seniors are old enough to vote in the Midterms, and plenty other underclassmen feel impassioned about this year’s elections. Yet for every student passionate about voting and democracy are several others who feel completely lost on who to support, or what they themselves support. Feelings of confusion, uncertainty, and apathy about voting are perhaps one of the biggest reasons high schoolers don’t vote, especially in Midterm elections. But registering to vote takes only a moment, and even if you feel unsure now, you should register now so you can vote when the times comes.

“It was quite simple,” said Caleb Niehoff, 12. “It took literally two minutes. It was painless.”

There are several important elections in Kansas this year, some said to be the most important in our generation. Perhaps the highest profile race is between Laura Kelly and Kris Kobach for governor after Gov. Sam Brownback’s resignation. Kelly is the Democratic candidate; the current Senate Assistant Minority, she has years of experience in the Kansas Senate and has plans to fix Kansas’s broken tax system and healthcare. Kobach, the Republican candidate, is the Kansas Secretary of State. He supports tax breaks and cutting wellfare.

Another important race in our part of Kansas is our district’s representative in the House. Kevin Yoder, the incumbent, is running against Democratic candidate Sharice Davids. Seats like this are important in Congress, where just one makes a difference between who controls Congress. Those eligible to vote this year should take care to ensure they’re being represented how they want to on a Federal and local level.

“People should defintely consider registering to vote because it’s our responisbilty,” said Niehoff. “Our type of government is a democratic republic so the people have to elect people who align with their views to make sure they’re represented.”

https://www.kdor.ks.gov/apps/voterreg/default.aspx

Follow this link to register to vote in just a few easy moments.