One of the best ways to understand the political process is to get involved in it at a grassroots level. That’s exactly what roughly a dozen students at Elkhart High School decided to do by volunteering to spend their entire day–Election Day–working at the polls in Elkhart County on Nov. 5.
“I chose to help out at the polls because I heard it was something that would be something nice to have on the college transcript,” admits Junior Emmanuel Romero. But, he was equally anxious to learn about a voting system in which he will actually be filling out his own ballot in 2028. “I was also just curious how the voting process works–which is what I learned as I was trained.”
To make sure that all votes are legal, students had to be instructed on what to look for and what to do if a “red flag” situation occurred. “They taught students how to check for valid ID’s,” Romero begins, adding that “they couldn’t be older than two years.” In this process, Romero discovered that there is more than one type of ID that voters can use. “Some ID’s worked, like the Indiana [government or driver’s license] and the veteran’s ID.” Continuing, Romero noted how important it was to understand how the actual voting machines worked in case one malfunctioned or a voter needed instruction. “They explained to everyone how to work the machines, even if others didn’t necessarily run the machines.”
Now that he has this activity on his transcript, would Romero cater the idea of doing it again? “If I can, I would definitely take the opportunity to do it again. The people who helped me train were very nice. And,” he concludes, “the people who were there poll working alongside me were very united. I would definitely do it again–especially if the same crew is there!”
Fellow junior, America Juarez, also helped out at the election polls. “I decided to work the polls because it seemed like it would be interesting and also a good learning experience.” Throughout the day, Juarez guided people through the process. “It went well,” she shares. “There were times I needed breaks from talking to so many people and being there all day,” she admits, “but it felt like a good experience to better understand the voting process.” Even though Juarez wasn’t familiar with the process herself at first, she took the time to help volunteer and assist in this important political event. “What I enjoyed was meeting new people in my own community I hadn’t ever known before! Some people had very memorable personalities,” she recalls, “and meeting the other high school volunteers–some of which were really cool–was an added bonus!”
Damian Guerra Gomez, a senior, also took part. “I wanted to see how the election polls worked,” he asserts, “especially since I’ll be voting in the next election!” Adding, Gomez says, “I was able to clarify questions my peers and family had.” His experience may not have affected this year’s election; however, it will aid him in bringing more voters to the polls at the next. For Gomez, voting is more than just a freedom; it is a right that all citizens should exercise. “It’s a given right as citizens to vote for our representation in government,” he asserts. “I think it’s important to have worked the polls at least once, because it helps the process for other voters–and we get to experience how polls work from a different perspective.”
While some who qualify to vote may have forfeited their opportunity to do so, there were more than a handful of students from Elkhart High School who showed up to assist in the political process–knowing that one day, they too, will be counted among the citizenry of voters.
