Highlights
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First Time Voter Learns from Mistakes
The 2012 presidential race narrowed even further April 3, when primary elections were held in Maryland, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin. During a very competitive political climate in Wisconsin, Marquette University freshman Haley Hinze was very anxious to cast a ballot for the first time.
“I’m a little confused at what I should bring,” Hinze said. “What I am going to bring is my driver’s license and my MU student ID, but I’m not sure if that’s all I need.” Like many voters in Wisconsin, the Voter ID Law and its recent injunction left Hinze feeling nervous if she had the required items to vote. But after looking at voting information on Marquette’s website, she determined she was ready to cast her ballot. After successfully registering to vote, Hinze experienced some difficulties at the polls. She wasn’t aware that Barack Obama would be on the ballot until she already voted for Mitt Romney, so she had to tear up her first ballot and start over. “I felt kind of dumb…I didn’t know who to ask when I was confused,” she said. Hinze said next time she votes, she will make sure she carefully reads the fine print before marking an arrow for a candidate. She also plans to do more research about local politicians to make a more informed decision about smaller elections. Despite feeling disappointed with her first voting experience, Hinze urges other young voters to be politically active. “If [college-aged students] do not [vote] now, they’re most likely not going to do it when they're older,” she said. Hinze said she felt that her individual vote did make a difference. She also said she is looking forward to voting in future elections and feels confident she will have a better experience. |