In previous years, the Democracy Matters club organized mock debates and brought political speakers to the school. The club was a nonpartisan campus-based student organization of the larger non-profit organization, Democracy Matters, but it disbanded for a couple years due to a lack of interest. This school year, the club has returned under the leadership of junior president Nila Venkaratanam.
“Numbers kind of dwindled down a bit in the last few years, but I’m glad that there is a new group taking over. They have a lot of energy and were proactive in getting the mock election organized, so I’m excited,” said history teacher Kirk Abe, the club’s adviser.
When Venkaratanam expressed interest in organizing a school-wide mock election, Abe suggested she bring back the Democracy Matters Club. Through the club, students can become more aware of current political issues surrounding them.
“My passion for democracy stems from the fact that I always try to advocate for what I believe is right,” Venkataratnam said.
In a typical Democracy Matters meeting, officers and members meet in room 505 on Red Day Monday lunches to discuss important current events. Currently, the club is focusing on elections at a federal and state level. They also suggest ways in which teens can get involved in politics and discuss the impacts of different factors such as swing states on major elections.
In future club meetings, Venkataratanam also plans to cover ways that students can keep up with current events, how major historical events have shaped modern politics, important laws that have been passed by state and federal legislature and plans to bring keynote speakers.
During this year’s National High School Voter Registration week, hosted from Sept. 23-27, the club held a voter registration drive during lunch. The club received materials, resources and advice from The Civics Center, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to getting high school students registered to vote. On Sept. 23, the club held their drive in the front of the school during lunch, hoping to catch juniors and seniors before they left campus.
According to Venkataranam, U.S. citizens and California residents ages 16-17 are eligible to pre-register for voting. By doing so, they will automatically be registered when they turn 18. The club left additional registration forms in the main office, so students can still pick up a form.
After only a few upperclassmen stopped on their way off-campus during lunch, the club decided to relocate to the top of the quad steps for the following days. The Democracy Matters Club received a sizable turnout of students stopping by to learn voter information after relocating. In total, 39 students registered.
During the first week of October, the club held its first mock election since the club’s revival. Six students gave speeches to present the views of one of the parties running for the 2024 general election prior to the mock election, and over 100 students attended the seminar. In total, almost 700 students voted during their history classes for U.S. President/Vice-President, Senate and 10 different propositions. The results of student’s decisions can be found on the Democracy Matters Club’s Instagram page (@demmattersclub).
“I wanted to organize a mock election because the upcoming general election is one of the most important elections in history,” Venkataratnam said. “It is so imperative for students to understand the policies and goals of the candidates who could possibly represent us for the next four years. Additionally, propositions are often overlooked but can directly affect our lives.”
