As Michigan maintained its crucial swing state status in the 2024 presidential election, some Howell High School seniors prepared to cast their first-ever ballots this past November.  This led to the election of 47th President Donald J. Trump who captured all of the crucial swing states and 312 electoral college votes.

There are seven major swing states in the U.S., including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, and Michigan. Michigan’s electoral significance comes from its ability to potentially change sides in an election, making Michigan’s voters incredibly important in deciding who becomes president.

“We live in a swing state. So, when you look at presidential elections, Michiganders have picked the winning president the last five elections,” government teacher Mr. Jeffrey Mathews said.

The nation has been divided into two main political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Some people will have different views, so splitting into parties helps focus on specific issues that each party values more. 

“Different political parties offer different perspectives on a lot of issues.  There are multiple political parties. I encourage people to take a political party test, and kind of see where they see themselves on all the issues, and not just say, well, I’m a Republican, so I have to stick with the Republican base. I think it is an important part of our democracy to see all sides of issues and understand that you’re probably not going to fall under I’m all red, or I’m all blue,” Mr. Mathews said.

As the political landscape evolves, Generation Z emerges as a transformative force in American electoral politics. According to Forbes, the generation now comprises approximately 41 million eligible voters, with a significant cohort of nearly 8 million cast their first ballots. 

“Yes, if you’re informed and have had life experiences, I’m probably different from other teachers who say, vote, vote. We gotta vote.  Get up to vote.  Everybody has to vote, vote, vote. I don’t think that’s right.  I think you should vote if you’re an informed citizen,” AP US History, Economics, and a previous AP government teacher, Mr. Eric Shaw, said.

Participation can be helpful to citizens of the US and contribute to the democratic system.  

“…the entire democratic process relies on voting.  If nobody votes, then nothing is happening in democracy,” Ms. Christians said.

Voting can be stressful for new voters who have just come of age. There are many resources students can use to find factual information. Using the internet can be a viable resource to find information outside of school, but there can also be a lot of misinformation. Forming a personal opinion on beliefs can contribute to having an educated opinion on current topics. 

“Ballot Ready is an excellent website that I like to use, and Ballot BallotPedia both will provide a lot of great resources for students on what’s on the ballot, who your representative is, and what the issues are,” Mr. Mathews said.

Seniors who became legal adults this year at Howell had the ability to cast their first general and primary election vote.  One of them being senior Sebastian Armbruster.   

“I think voting is one of, if not the most important opportunity we have as American citizens to practice our democratic rights,” Armbruster said.

President Donald J. Trump took office at noon on January 20th, 2025.  This began his final 4 year term as the 47th of the United States of America.