This Tuesday, Super Tuesday, many will be entering the polls for the first time to cast their ballot in the primary election.
During primaries, voters will vote within one party instead of in the general election where everyone votes between the same candidates.
“So you’re either voting for republican candidates or democratic candidates,” HHS AP Government teacher Stacey Browning said.
She explained that Alabama has an open primary, so voters don’t have to be registered with one party or the other to vote.
“You’ll go and they’ll say ‘Do you want a republican ballot or a democratic ballot?’ and they’ll give you one or the other,” Browning said. “Even if you’re not really excited about voting in the presidential primary, that’s not the only thing on those ballots.”
On the ballot, there will be presidential candidates, judges, state-level representatives, congressional representatives and state amendments, among other positions and issues.
Browning said voters can look at the sample ballot ahead of time and do research on people they don’t know to decide who to vote for, emphasizing the importance of these decisions on voters’ lives.
Rachel Estes, a long-time member of the Homewood community who has had three daughters graduate from HHS, has held voter registration opportunities at HHS for nine years.
“I think that it’s a privilege for me because, for a lot of people, it’s the first adult thing they’re doing,” Estes said.
She said that voters can register to vote online, but it’s often something that people don’t think about doing, or it seems too daunting, so it’s helpful to have someone help in person.
When her oldest daughter was in high school, Estes realized many of her daughter’s friends and other students had not considered registering to vote. She decided to not only encourage taking that step, but to offer assistance for students with questions.
Estes typically registers between 50 and 70 voters each year and has some tips and advice for new voters.
“Always check the secretary of state’s website to make sure you’re registered to vote,” she said.
She makes sure to check before each election to make sure she’s still registered since it resets for people sometimes.
With many new voters going off to college soon, Estes advises students to assess where their vote will count more.
She explained that Alabama will likely always have its electoral college votes go toward the Republican nominee, so when it’s time for the general election students going out of state may decide to vote absentee and have their vote count toward Alabama, or register to vote in their county where they are attending college, especially if they are in a swing state.
Browning said depending on where you go to college, you will either have to establish residency to vote for that county, or just vote absentee.
Voters should receive a voting card with their polling location on it annually, or they can visit the Alabama Secretary of State website to search for their address and it will show the polling location for that address.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. so students can either go vote before school or after school this Tuesday.
