The clock is ticking.

The old saying is you’d have to be living under a rock not to know, but even the under-the-rock-people know how contentious American politics are right now.

The 2018 midterm elections are looming and this fall we, the students of Perry High School can impact the real world.

We could see a lot of turnover in this year’s election, as executive offices such as a U.S. Senate seat and numerous U.S. House of Representative seats are up for grabs, not to mention the state’s Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

And the clock is ticking.

The deadline for voter registration is over fall break — Oct. 9, and election day is Nov. 6. And voting in 2018 could not be any easier because we can vote by mail like sending off that tweet in polls to estimate who would win.

With a senior class of over 800, Perry needs to vote!

The Secretary of State from the 2016 election showed only 50% of those 18 years or older registered. Seniors who will be eligible to vote this fall, can voice their opinions in an election that could greatly influence issues relevant to the future of our state and country.

There is a significant importance to voting and having a voice in society that people should understand. Voting is a constitutional process that keeps the government in order and working. It is a distinct responsibility of a citizen to vote a representative as voting itself is a right in which individuals in the United States are granted in society.

“It is always so important to vote in any election, midterm elections or presidential elections,” AP U.S. History teacher Jason Myers emphasizes.

In a government elected by its citizens, the people should take advantage of their right as having a voice in the government can influence leaders and relevant, important issues. It is better to make use of that right in which it matters later on.

Every single vote counted matters as close races and elections have been seen in several cases in the past of history. According to The New York Times, the 2014 election race for Arizona’s Superintendent of Public Instruction had a close race between Diane Douglas and David Garcia, with the republican party of Diane Douglas winning between a 50.6% to 49.4% vote race.

Which is the reason why millennials (many of our teachers) and Gen-Z’ers (us) should be encouraged to cast their vote to have an opinion and speak up this year by voting.

The Pew Research Center talks about the voter turnout drop in numbers for mid elections. However,elections in Arizona typically happen every year, so making sure to keep up with any new news and important dates is equally important as the voter’s part to make sure nothing is missed in the future.

According to U.S. Census data, “voter turnout in the United States is among the lowest in the developed world.” The data shows that Arizona has a population of over 7 million with only the numbers amounting to 3.5 million people registering to vote. Concluding to 2.6 million voting as of Aug. 1, 2018.With only a 74% voter turnout. With a population of 7 million, only half of individuals are registered out of the entire population which needs to see a change.

Fall break is almost here. The candidates are in full-campaign and debate mode. The casting of ballots will soon come and the issues are all over the place, even under rocks. If you are 18, you have 11 days left to register to vote.

Time is running out and the clock is still ticking.