Several teens are getting ready to participate in their first election.

     On Nov. 5, voters will head to the polls to cast their ballot for State Senate, House of Delegates, Sheriff, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, Supervisors, and School Board. While some of these races are uncontested, others have several candidates vying for one seat. 

     Although all Fauquier County residents will see the same names listed for Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, and Treasurer; those residing in different districts will see different names listed for House of Delegates, Board of Supervisors, and School Board.

     Fauquier County is divided into five districts. Depending on where students live, they will see different names on their ballots. For the most part, Kettle Run students live in three districts: Scott, Center, and Cedar Run.

     Senior Ryan Roeber took advantage of the Fauquier County’s Voter Registrar coming to Kettle Run. “I was actually really excited to sign up,” Roeber said. “It is really cool that I have the ability to vote in any of the upcoming local elections.”

     Roeber believes more students would have registered if they knew they could have done it in school. “I think they should have advertised it more,” Roeber said. “More high school voters would turnout if they knew how to register.”

     Oct. 15 was the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election. Senior Amy Roth did her part to remind her peers. She posted a “last day” reminder on her Snap story.

    “I posted information because I know a lot of people won’t go out of their way to find it themselves,” Roth said. “I hoped that if they were told by someone they know, they would be more inclined to register.”

     Roth feels voting is everyone’s responsibility. “The world won’t change if people don’t put in the effort,” Roth explained. 

     Senior Taylor Malloy registered to vote online. “I feel that it is important to be involved and have a say in politics,” Malloy said. Malloy said she is confident she knows what

“I  know what to expect because of my parents and what I’ve learned in government class,” Malloy said.

    Senior Kaitlin Sarver is also heading to the polls for the first time. She feels more people should be allowed to vote. “I think that voting should be accessible to anyone in spite of who they are or what they’ve done,” Sarver said. “The voting system could be more open to immigrants, or ex-convicts in order to further expand on its ability to let voices be heard.”

     “I think that it is a really cool experience to be able to choose who and what we want for our representatives,” Sarver said. “It gives us the chance to share our opinions on what could be improved.”

     Voting also engages the population into society because it demonstrates a kind of social awareness and activeness that empowers the individual.

     “It is important to vote to make sure that your voice is heard,” Sarver said. “By voting, you are able to choose someone with that ability to fight for the same causes that you have views for.”

     Virginia just recently closed their registration day for voting on October 15th. This allows those individuals to vote for the School Board, State Senate, and the General Election in the upcoming months.