WASHINGTON, D.C.8212;Lane Wheeler will not vote on Election Day.
She is a U.S. citizen. She has educated herself about the candidates. She pays taxes and does not have a criminal record. However, if she tries to vote, poll workers would turn her away because she is 17.
A freshman in government at Georgetown University, Wheeler’s 18th birthday is a few months after Nov. 4, making her too young to vote.
Even though Wheeler is younger than most of her classmates, college campuses have seen an increase in political activity this year, which she said has made it difficult to not feel upset about being excluded from the excitement.
“It is hard because a student on campus will be out trying to register to vote, and I will have to reject them every time because it just isn’t possible for me,” she said.
Although they are disappointed they won’t be able to vote, students younger than 18 are determined to have their voices heard this election season.
Gadiel Durham, a 17-year-old freshman studying graphic design at American University, wears a Sen. John McCain T-shirt once a week, sports a Republican sign on his apartment window and encourages his friends to register to vote.
“I would vote McCain if I could, but I have already convinced a number of my voting friends to go for him,” Durham said.
Wheeler shows her support by canvassing with the Georgetown Young Democrats on behalf of her presidential pick, Sen. Barack Obama.
Another student under the age requirement is Nadia Walker, a freshman in finance at Ohio State University, who bumped up a year in the second grade.
“I am used to being behind everyone else,” Walker said. “When all my friends got their driver’s license, I had to wait a whole year longer to turn 16. It is the same thing with voting. It is just too bad that the year I turned 18 is also the most important presidential election ever.”
In 1971, the 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Although the amendment appeased people ages 18 to 20, 17-year-olds were still left out.
“If they let me vote, they would have to let all 17-year-olds vote,” Durham said. “And if they did that, soon someone would want 16-year-olds to vote. The age limit would keep going down until my 10-year-old brother could vote.”
Junior Mumea said he will miss the Election Day cut off by just three days. Mumea, a freshman studying landscape design at George Washington University, will celebrate his birthday Nov. 7.
“The worst part about it is that two years ago Election Day was on my birthday,” he said. “If I had turned 18 that day, I could have voted. But since it is on the Nov. 4 this year, I can’t vote.”
According to election rules, Election Day is held the first Tuesday after Nov. 1.
Neither Mumea nor Walker are staying silent politically. Walker has volunteered with a nearby campaign office stuffing envelopes and making signs for an independent candidate. Mumea has spent a few Saturdays handing out flyers encouraging people to register at a subway station near his apartment building.
“I will be the first one at the polls four years from now,” Mumea said. “I just hope I will be voting to keep Barack Obama in office rather than voting to replace John McCain.”
Editor’s Note8212;Jed Layton is a U student reporting from Washington, D.C., through the Hinckley Institute of Politics and Shantou University.
Erik DaenitzU students Greg Klekas, Katie Kormanik and Clint Hugie show their support for presidential candidate Barack Obama during a march around campus on Monday. Kormanik will also lead a march around downtown on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m.