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Las Cruces High Schoolers Discuss Voting In School Board Elections

http://youtu.be/iddwBxSKITs
 
3% of registered voters voted during this year’s School Board Elections. Legislator Javier Morales is sponsoring a bill that could change that. The bill would allow 16 and 17-year olds in New Mexico to vote in School board elections. 
 
School Board Vice President Barbara Hall says the idea of having 16 and 17 year olds vote is an interesting one. 
 
“The 17 year olds it’s not so long until they can vote anyway,” Hall said. “But if we could make it a part of a student government class, and they could really be informed about the situation and about the issues and what’s important that might be a possibility. I don’t know that I would say yes to the vote, but I would certainly say yes to having them better understand. Because the more they understood and the more they talked to other people that would make for a better electorate.” 
 
She says she does think it could help with voter turnout.  Something that Senior Parker Lancaster was surprised was so low. 
 
“I’m extremely surprised that the parents and grandparents of the children in the schools especially didn’t go out and vote,” Lancaster said. “And support something that really affects their children, and the community as a whole in the future.” 
 
Other students I spoke with at Centennial High School felt that they really would have something to contribute to the issues. 
 
“We know what’s going on in and around the school,” Roy Geiger said. “We know what kids are having problems with. We know what really needs to be done. Whereas other people outside the school, they just know what occasionally comes on the news sometimes, and what they hear from their friends.” 
 
“I’ve seen Centennial be built from the ground up,” Tiana Pacheco said. “I was here the first year, and now two years later, I feel like we’ve developed so much., and so I definitely have a feel of what goes on. Especially now that I’m in student government.”

Samantha Sonner was a multimedia reporter for KRWG- TV/FM.