Voting for the very first time
Young people turn out
Trending
HOUGHTON -- The line for entering the polling place at Dee Stadium was out the door at 7 a.m. Tuesday, according to one poll worker. One coalition of voters is particularly moved by the current political landscape for these midterm elections -- young voters -- many of whom are casting their ballots for the first time ever, right here in Houghton.
One group of 18-year old high school graduates stopped outside the polls to talk about voting for the first time.
"I probably wouldn't have voted if I didn't have all the support from the community, because there's a lot going on," first-time voter Gabriel Knutson said. "Especially just coming into college, it was definitely helpful."
Supporting first-time and student voters has been a mission of several Copper Country-based advocacy groups. Keweenaw Indivisible and the League of Women Voters' Rock the Vote event in October saw a broader engagement of the community. While National Voter Registration Day in September on Michigan Tech's campus saw students and staff alike engage campus-goers in the democratic process.
The state government even incentivizes voting with the Secretary of State putting out its Michigan Campus Voting Challenge. In the past, University of Michigan-Flint campus has taken home the title of the highest voting rate and voter registration rate among its students. Michigan Tech was recognized in 2024 for its work with engaging student voters, according to michigan.gov.
Many college students are still trying to find their voice as young adults within this political climate. "It [voting] definitely helped with my personal identity," first-time voter Elle Van Driessche said. "Knowing that I'm contributing and making a difference in what's going to happen, not only in my state but in the United States."
First-time voters at Dee also mentioned they did not know there were this many choices on the ballot. "I didn't realize how many options there would be," Knutson said. "I probably should have done more research but it was cool to participate in the democratic process."
Some young voters have been politically engaged, but have not been able to vote and make their voices heard, until today. "It felt really nice to [vote]. After seeing everything that's been going on and not being able to vote on anything, to actually be able to vote and put my opinion in there and maybe get something done," first-time voter Skylar Geremesz said.
One first-time voter, 19-year old Austin Simmons, said he has not been confident in the process so far. "I find a lot of it to be frustrating, because you can't actually vote for whoever you want," he said. "It just won't really matter. But, you know, that's just kind of how it goes. It's important but I find the entire idea frustrating."
Early voting numbers as of Monday trend towards an increased turnout. There are around 28,000 registered voters in Houghton County, with 2,000 of them participating in early voting in the 10 days before Tuesday's election.
Houghton County Clerk Jennifer Kelly said she and her office personally helped Michigan Tech students register to vote for this election cycle. "I've talked to and seen a lot of people at the courthouse who are Michigan Tech students and are first-time voters who are very excited," she said. "I believe every one of those students will be casting a vote if they haven't already done it."