Kennedy juniors and seniors are hearing the call to political action through the voter registration drive hosted by the Young Democrats club this Wednesday, December 9. The voter registration drive is an effort by the club to get more seniors and juniors registered to caucus and vote in the 2016 presidential election.

“Since earning the right to vote in the early 70s, 18-21 year olds have had the lowest voter turnout consistently,” Austin Wu, sr., said. “The voter registration drive is really an effort to get the junior and senior class more involved in politics because the 2016 election is the first election in which most of the seniors and some of the junior class can participate in.”

Wu is involved in the Young Democrats club, and has gone to classrooms this past week with a presentation on how the caucus works and how to get registered.

Students who are seventeen and half currently can register to caucus and vote in the general election. Individuals must be 18 by the general election in November of 2016, or they may not participate.

“I think young people need to understand that their vote is important and that voting is a way of putting your ideas in; electing someone that will represent you,” Khadidja Elkcurti, sr., said. “A government like ours needs to represent all the people and when you’re seeing a certain demographic voting and other demographics not voting, their demographic won’t be represented.”

Elkcurti is a leader of the Young Democrats club with senior Kyle Scheer.

The drive will take place in the front foyer before school Wednesday, during the entirety of Smart Lunch, and after school. Students may fill out a form and register to vote, but must know either their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number.