First Time Voters on Election Day

In this episode, we sit down with Juan Castrejon and Hanaa Khan, two Greenville County residents preparing to vote in their first presidential election. They share valuable insights on the importance of civic engagement for young people, the barriers that keep their peers from the polls, and the role schools can play in building a stronger democracy.

Links:

Interview on "The Great Retention" podcast.

Transcript

Katy Smith:

This episode is posting on November 5th, 2024, election day. and we’re excited to introduce you to two first time voters - Hanaa Khan and Juan Castrejón. They both just graduated from high schools in Greenville County and are now college freshman, and they’ll discuss why they are excited to vote, what they believe drives their peers to vote, and what’s on their minds this election season. 

Now, of note - this episode was recorded way back in July 2024 before either Republican or Democratic National Conventions, so much has changed since we had our conversation. The youth vote is a target of both of the major presidential candidates, and preliminary reports show that young people have come out stronger than expected in early voting. Hanaa and Juan are both excited to vote TODAY - Hanaa is a freshman at Furman and Juan is just down the road at Clemson, so it’s an easy trip home for both of them. We are so excited for them both to get their I Votes stickers!

I’m Katy Smith with Greater Good Greenville, and I’m so proud that we’ve been able to bring you information this entire election cycle.We’ve introduced you to the candidates, we’ve talked about why elections are important, we’ve shared a candidate lookup tool our our website that has already been visited by thousands of voters. If we’ve been helpful to you, I hope you’ll give us a follow or review on your favorite podcast platform. 

If you’d like to hear more about young people and voting, take a listen to my guest appearance on The Great Retention podcast with Kamber Parker where we talked about Belonging and Civic Engagement. We’ll link the episode in the show notes.

Katy Smith:

I'm so pleased to be here today with Hanaa and Juan to talk about voting. And these two folks I love because they are so passionate about voting and about civic engagement, but neither of them has had the opportunity to do it yet. So let's start, Juan. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you're looking forward to in the fall when it's time to vote.

Juan Castrejon:

I'm looking forward to mostly like seeing a lot of people come out and just be excited to vote because I've never had that experience to go somewhere and vote. So hopefully everyone shows up and everyone's pretty nice about it.

Katy Smith:

Have you been able to go and vote with a friend or family member? Have you been to a polling place yet and seen it in action?

Juan Castrejon:

No, because when my brother, because my brother, he's 20, so he's already voted. But I think when it was the past elections, he was still underage. So I didn't have that chance of going, no.

Katy Smith:

What do you anticipate you'll see when you go?

Juan Castrejon:

I think a lot of people just happy to vote or just everyone just just excited. They're having their little pendants that I voted.

Katy Smith:

That sticker is like the icon that everybody imagines. It's like a little trophy for doing your civic duty. Right. I love it. All right, Hanaa, how about you? Have you been with anyone to vote and seen it in action yet?

Hanaa Khan:

Yes, actually. I think the first time I went was in 2012 with my dad. So we went together, you know, I've pretty much every election that's every general election that's been around. I've gone with at least one of my parents and I've, you know, gotten to see how the process is. And it was very cool. So from an early age, you know, I was kind of not exactly involved, but like I got to watch, you know, a bit of civic engagement, which was very fun and very cool. So I definitely appreciate that experience.

Katy Smith:

I love that neither of you have yet voted, and yet voting is very important to you and something that you're really looking forward to. So I'm curious about why is voting so important to you? Hanaa, I wonder if you could start.

Hanaa Khan:

Yeah, well, it kind of started back in my junior year of high school. So I've always been interested in current events, especially, you know, anything related to political affairs or anything of the sort. And I really wanted to get other young people a lot more aware and involved in what's going on around them, especially in the political world. So I happened to get in contact with a great teacher who told me about the League of Women Voters, the league that I ended up working with. And it was that organization that really made me value voter engagement and civic participation, doing your duty as a citizen. So I think that's where I really started valuing all those duties.

Katy Smith:

Great. And Juan, how about you? How did civic engagement become important to you in voting?

Juan Castrejon:

So I think it started from this year, actually. But past years, like my family would always ask me, oh, what's your opinion on this and that? And I'll be like, well, I don't know. So like I'll just be more intrigued and find more information for them. And so then I casually also put my opinion out there. And yeah, and this year I actually got to see some of like the work that's done. But as a student, because I was part of youth in government and I went up to Columbia and voted on certain things. So then that made me value the importance of putting your vote out there and voting for the person you want to represent yourself.

Katy Smith:

That is great. I do think there are so many great programs to help teach young people about not just the importance of civic engagement, but the machinery of how it works. And I know Youth in Government, League of Women Voters, and its work with young people are just both such great resources, for sure. It's so wonderful that both of you care about this topic and then have paid attention to it, both through school, through conversations around the dinner table with your family. But voters under the age of 24 traditionally, historically have the worst participation rates. They do not show up to vote. What do you hear as you talk to your friends about why they're not voting? Why do you think young people are not turning out to vote in the same way that you guys are ready to and excited about it? Juan, how about if you start?

Juan Castrejon:

So one thing I would say that like kind of deters people from voting is they don't really see the person who they're voting for in themselves. So like they don't really like, oh, some people say that, well, they're not probably the same age. So how would they know how I'm going through or like what problems I'm facing? So I feel like that's probably one of the issues that not a lot of people see themselves in the people they're actually voting for. So that's why I feel people don't want to vote. But also I feel that those people don't really care because they're just coming out of high school and they're like, oh, why should I vote for anybody? I mean, are they really making a difference or anything like that?

Katy Smith:

I think that's such a good point. And for older listeners who remember the 1992 election for president when Bill Clinton ran, which this is so funny to say, it was a whole phenomenon when he went on a late night show and played the saxophone and all this crazy stuff that animated young people because I was a young person at the time. And we thought, oh, my gosh, finally a candidate who's energetic and interested in the same things that we are. So I do think having a younger candidate does interest younger people in a way that we certainly don't have this year with our presidential election. Hanaa, how about you? What do you think is deterring young people from voting?

Hanaa Khan:

Yeah, you're right. You know, the young people of today, they've been turning out less and less for recent elections. And it's definitely a major problem that has to be resolved. And now, of course, you know, there are probably multiple reasons for why, you know, there's less turnout among the youth. But I like to attribute it mainly to the fact that the youth of today, they're probably a lot more doubtful about whether their voices are actually being heard. And I think it's safe to say that most people, at least young people today, they feel that current politicians, they don't represent their interests or understand their concerns or are not even trying to address those concerns. And, you know, it just leaves young voters feeling left out or ignored completely, just leaves them with a sentiment that if we're being ignored, we might as well not participate. And I think that it's definitely a negative mindset that, you know, we have to try to solve or get rid of, you know.

Hanaa Khan:

And I definitely think that the best way we can try to resolve it is through civic education, like, you know, especially in school curriculums. Trying to teach people when they're really young, you know, about the importance of voting and you know, how political processes work. And that way, you know again, people, they remember that lessons, they keep those in mind and then come the day they turn 18 they can, you know, they can actually vote. They'll remember that lesson like, oh, you know, this is an important duty that I have. I'm going to exercise it.

Katy Smith:

That's a great point. And, you know, that relevance question is such a, kind of a tricky thing because in the 2022 statewide primary, which was when voters went out to choose who would be on the ballot for governor and who would be on the ballot for, Secretary of Education for South Carolina, only 2% of voters were 18 to 24. So it is so hard when you don't see it as being relevant to you and you don't come out. But when so few people come out, it will continue to not be relevant because elected officials and politicians aren't thinking, what's on the mind of young voters? They might not care because young voters aren't saying what's on their minds or showing up. So it's such a tricky circular thing, but so great that you guys are trying to help get the word out. Do you have any thoughts on that one?

Juan Castrejon:

Yeah. I mean, it's really a problem because I mean, if you go to a ballot, you also feel kind of out of place because all you see is just older people just there and you're just like, Is this even like cool enough for me to actually vote? I feel like that's also another thing. Like people don't like feel as pressured enough to go vote because they don't really care. Like their friends aren't like, oh, are you going to vote or anything like that? They're just like, oh, no. And so they're like, I'm not going to vote either.

Katy Smith:

I love that you pointed that out, Juan, because we've talked before on this podcast that the things, there's a couple things that influence people voting. It's access. It's feeling like you're going to have an impact. One of them is feeling like you're part of a community of voters. And so if you live on a street where everyone's got signs for candidates, you feel like, oh, something's happening. I should get out there. But to your point, when you go and vote and all the awesome people who are working, who thank you, all of you who work. But they tend to be over the age of 70, you don't feel like this is a place that is meant for me. Now, certainly we want more young people to get out there and vote. Many of those older, long-time workers would love to be able to hand the reins over to someone else. But it does create an atmosphere where you feel like, I'm out of place here. I'm here in my old elementary school cafeteria or a church. And how exactly do I fit in? What do you think we could do to change that? How do you think we could encourage more young people to work the polls? What would make a difference?

Hanaa Khan:

Actually, while I was interning with the league, I got to create a couple videos, that were spread around local school circles. And they were about how young people can participate in elections. So one main thing I tried to push was they could try to become poll managers or at least poll assistants. So they could actually go to polls on election day. And if any voters had any concerns or questions that they wanted to bring up, they could address those. That's definitely one huge way I think that young people could definitely become a lot more engaged. So just try to find some way to help out on Election Day. I think that's a great way to help.

Katy Smith:

I think that's such a great example. And let me further say that you can be 16 and work at the polls and you get paid to work at the polls. I don't know if people realize that. It's not a ton, but you're not, you know, it's a long day, but you do get paid. And that is a great thing for a high school student to do. And one other thing I'll say is that a lot of high school students can work on a political campaign, not just for a presidential campaign, but for state house, state Senate, for county council. They need people to help knock on doors and hand out flyers. And you can do that as a volunteer, but sometimes there's paid positions for that too. I think that's a great idea.

Juan Castrejon:

Something to add about that. Also, it's not advertised as much, so I feel like if people know about it more, maybe they'll actually come out. I didn't even know that you could do that at such a young age, which I should have probably been doing that since I was 16. But yeah, I feel like not a lot of the youth knows that, oh, you can help out by advertising, going knocking on doors, or being at the ballots. And also a thing that I did kind of agree is that just for the youth to know more, because when at our high school, my civics teacher, she had, I can't remember what the group was called, but they came in and they like help people register to vote. So that really helped me because I honestly didn't know how to vote because my brother, he's already in college, so I can't really ask him. So I feel like that helps out and that helps people want to actually go vote.

Katy Smith:

I think that's great. I mean, yeah, getting the word out just to let people know they can do it. And maybe this podcast will do exactly that. We can help spread the word to folks. So when you think about voting in this presidential election, what's on your mind?

Juan Castrejon:

For me, I don't know who to really vote for, but that's just me. I'm not going to get into details about it. But I just, since I feel like I don't see myself or agree with some of the stuff, I just don't know who to vote. That's really me. And I keep asking my friends, so what do you, what's your opinion? And they really don't even have an answer either because they don't even know if they're going to vote. Which I already see in a problem right there where it's like, oh, the people there are supposed to be voting for, we can't relate to them. And so like it's hard for us to actually want to go vote.

Katy Smith:

How do you think you'll get information outside of friends do you have sources you rely on for info about stuff like that?

Juan Castrejon:

I try to go on like their actual websites and see what l they want to do and what are their policies and what are their future plans for this country. So that's what I try to look more for. So I don't have to just choose one side. I want to see what each person will do for the better of the country. And that's why I feel like a lot of people won't take the time of their day to actually go on their official websites and look, oh, what is your opinion on this or what's your opinion on that? Because that's really what they're there for, so that you know what's their plan for all that.

Katy Smith:

Yeah, I think that's a really great point. And you'll hear candidates say that they have been thinking 24-7 about their election from the moment they decided to run. But most people really don't pay a ton of attention until it is time to go vote. So most voters aren't gonna do any of that research until late October when it's time to go to the ballot box. So and so much can change you know between now and then too so I think just knowing you want to tap into research is the thing to do so good for you Hanaa what about you>

Hanaa Khan:

Some other resources that I would actually recommend are vote411.com which is a great website you know to learn about who's going to be on your ballot and learn about their positions but anyways I just wanted to mentioned those resources as well. About 2024, I'm also kind of conflicted on who I'm going to vote for. But and also similar to you, Juan, I have had friends who said that they're considering even like skipping the election, you know, just not voting for anyone in particular. And honestly, I was kind of sad to hear that because, you know, despite like whatever your beliefs are, I think that you should, you know, at least try to vote in an election because, you know, it's a… It's a right that all of us have, all citizens have. You should try to exercise it. And when you skip an election, I think that, like I said before, young people, they're concerned that, oh, their voices aren't being heard. If you're skipping an election, you're contributing to that. So that's why I think that try to vote third party or write in a candidate, if you will. Just don't try to skip an election. That's what I would say.

Katy Smith:

I appreciate both of you saying that because truly, if you skip an election, you really are voting and you're voting against your best interests. You know, whoever you might prefer a little bit less, you're in essence casting a vote for them, in my opinion, by not voting. And candidates run based on what they think their opportunity is. And if we see voter, young voter turnout start to tick up and up and up each year, then potential candidates will say, gosh, there are more young people out there in my district or in my area that I'm running for. So it begins to build momentum for the future. So thanks enormously to both of you for being part of that. Both of you mentioned how schools can help get information out, whether it's a teacher or voter registration at school. Can you talk a little bit about the role you think schools can play in helping get 17 and 18 year olds engaged in the civic process?

Juan Castrejon:

I mean, yeah. I mean, how I mentioned before, my econ teacher, I think I said my sign language teacher, because she was my econ teacher. She really wanted people to vote. And she also took some time out of her time in class and actually showed why we should vote for it. And she brought a bunch of guest speakers to help convince us, hey, it's actually important and you should do it. I feel like she really helped instill that into me. Because at the beginning, I was even unsure if I was going to vote because I wasn't too sure. But when she showed me all that, she really said in my mind, oh... You got to vote. And so that's why I'm kind of like, yeah, I'm going to vote. So she really helped out in that.

Katy Smith:

Great. Hanaa, anything you want to talk about related to voting in schools and civic engagement?

Hanaa Khan:

Like I said before, I think civic engagement in education, it should be further promoted, especially in school curriculums. When you teach young people about how political processes work and, you know, why voting is so important. It enables them to value civic engagement. And then, you know, when they finally turn 18 and they can vote, they remember those lessons and they carry out those civic duties. And that can be just more than, it can be more than voting. You know, it could also entail going to local government meetings or just being involved in your community.

Katy Smith:

That's great. What do you wish young voters knew going into the 2024 general election?

Hanaa Khan:

I think I'll repeat an earlier message here. I think there's a word for it, double haters. People who don't like candidates on either side, they're just like, oh, I don't know what I'm going to do. I think I'm going to skip this election. Like I said before, I think that's really detrimental because when you don't vote, you don't play a part in a democracy and then your voice isn't heard, which of course, you know, hurts others and the politicians who end up getting elected. They don't represent what, you know, your ideals or your beliefs. And it just makes everything a lot messier and a lot less democratic, I'd say. So I just want voters to know, again, I'm just reiterating this, that please do not skip an election, especially this election. Every election is important please do your part and be a good citizen. Yeah just vote.

Katy Smith:

Thanks. Juan, what about you?

Juan Castrejon:

Oh it's similar to what Hanaa says I mean, want more people to turn out, young people. Because like she said, if you don't show up, you're causing the problem. Because if you don't show up, then how do you know your voice is going to be heard? And that's all I'm hoping for, that people actually realize, okay, let me sit down, let me look at what each presidential candidate is planning on doing with the country and actually, wants to vote, like is 100% sure they want to vote for that person, whether they don't always agree with all they say, at least that their voice is being heard.

Katy Smith:

Well, Juan and Hanaa, you guys give me such confidence for the future. I am so grateful to both of you for taking your civic responsibility and privilege seriously and for helping let your friends know how important this is and for the volunteer work you've both done. And I'm excited for you to both get your official I voted sticker when you go to vote in the general election this year and I'm really glad you'll be a part of the populist voting. So thanks so much for joining us today.

Catherine Puckett:
Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good Greenville. Greater Good Greenville was catalyzed by the merger of the Nonprofit Alliance and the Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy. You can learn more on our website at greatergoodgreenville.org.