In common news coverage, more focus is placed on the Presidential elections every four years than any representation of local elections and the candidates running for local office, much less primaries. However, voting in a local election actually ends up having more local impact than a national election.
“This will be my first time voting, so I am excited,” said OH senior Hassan Lawal. “It is important now for young people to vote because we are the future, [and] it’s important to vote in local elections because those are elections that impact you most.”
Local elections, and primaries, which determine which people end up on each party’s ballot in November, are just as important as the bigger national and presidential elections, but they are often less well-advertised, and as a result have lower voter turnout.
“Statistically across the country, less people show up for primaries, less people show up for local elections, less people show up for the midterm elections,” said Brenda Shay, an AP Gov and Civics teacher at OH. “The presidential elections are always going to… have a higher voter turnout, but even in a presidential election, we only have like, a 70 percent turnout at highest.”
True to Shay’s comment, only 65.3% of the voting-age population actually voted in 2024, and only about 50% of Illinoisans voted in previous midterm elections. Young adults – including high school students like those at OH – have had the lowest voter turnout, with only around 20 million people aged 18-29 voting in 2024, even though more than double that number were eligible.
“[People are] less educated about all the different elections because [of] the media. I mean, we have no idea unless you look very carefully for the governor debates [which are] only carried by local television stations,” Shay said.
Social media has become increasingly popular with younger generations, and the amount of mixed/misinforming pieces of media cause younger voters to not care about politics entirely, leading to decreased voter turnout.
However, no matter how much misinformation is out there, or how difficult it can be to find the facts on candidates, voting in elections is one of the few voices Americans have in government.
Local elections have more of an immediate impact on citizens. For young OH voters and recent graduates, ages 18-25, this is the first or one of the first local elections in which they can begin voting. Residents who will be 18 by the general election (in this case November 3, 2026), can register and vote in primaries like the one happening tomorrow.
“Oftentimes our oldest and youngest generations are out of touch with each other. All people’s voices are important and everyone should vote to make their voices heard,” OH senior Shannon Niesluchowski said.
As more students approach voting age, awareness of primaries and local elections becomes increasingly important. While presidential elections often receive the most attention, the outcomes of local races and primaries can shape policies that directly affect schools, communities, and everyday life.
Information for residents can be found at the Kendall County guide for new voters and the Village of Oswego voting information page online.
Hello, I'm Roman Berger, and this is my first year with the 42Fifty Staff team. I am currently a Senior at Oswego High School, and plan on writing lots of articles related to the news or opinion sections. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
I'm Taylor Jo Ana, I'm a Junior at OH, and this is my first year on 42Fifty! I'm on the Speech Team, and I'm in the National English Honor Society and National Art Honor Society. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
