Ohio University students gathered in Baker University Center on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to vote for Athens County ballot measures, such as City Council members and levy issues.
Aimee Adkins, a graduate student at OU studying law, justice and culture and a political science alumna, discussed the importance of voting in local elections.
The local government basically has a lot of control over like local life, and a lot of people don't really look at that, but it is just how it works,” Adkins said.
Samuel Linden, a junior studying flight aviation, spoke on why he went to vote.
“Doing my civic duty,” Linden said. “A lot of people in our generation do not vote, and that's kind of upsetting because the biggest voting demographic right now is non-voters, and they've won, I think, like the last three elections, which was kind of upsetting, so getting out and voting, that's what's most important to me.”
Voters decided on three different levies on the ballot: Issue 1, the Board of Developmental Disabilities Tax Levy, Issue 2, the Sales and Use Tax Levy and Issue 3, the Emergency Medical Services Tax Levy.
Linden commented on the importance of the three levy issues.
“The disabilities one, that was important, I saw a lot of signs about that,” Linden said. “I read about that. That was important because it was going to fund more disability care, and then the 911 levy that was also important, renewing it for the 911 service.”
Linden said voting in local elections is important because it trickles up and impacts local legislation.
“Even if it does not feel like it matters,” Linden said. “You should still get out and vote because it is important for the process.”
In this year's election, 8,526 ballots were cast, which is 24.43% of the 34,905 registered voters in Athens County.
