Tuesday, November 8th was election day; for some lucky seniors, it was their first time filling out a ballot. Voting may seem likes it’s far away in the future, but the political mail will start coming sooner than expected.

Seniors Ryan Soderlund and Katelyn LeBlanc were both excited to have a role in our democracy. LeBlanc stated, “I’ve always known that I wanted to vote. I am a big believer that every vote does in fact matter.”

Soderlund was “pretty stoked” to vote this year, “I thought I would exercise my right to vote and get my voice out there,” he added. The younger generation does have a growing impact on elections. NPR reported that voter turnout among people aged 18-29 was the highest it had been in the last 30 years for a midterm election.

The seniors shared some advice and both recommend voting early. LeBlanc added, “Don’t wait until the last minute and don’t make votes without educating yourself on the candidate or measure first.”

Soderlund also had additional advice for future first-time voters, “Use a pen, not a pencil.”

Unfortunately, Oregon does mail-in voting, so you may not receive one of the iconic “I voted” stickers. Sticker or not, taking part in democracy is a pretty big deal.