An 18-year-old student from Helotes has shown that Gen Z’s interest in the voting process is alive and well. Eliana Arriaga was recently the recipient of the Why Vote? Scholarship from the National Society of High School Scholars.
Arriaga said most of her fellow students didn’t know that they could register to vote when they turn 17 years and 10 months old. She created a voter registration event at Brandeis High School called 17/10 day.
"I was able to do this from my position of NHS Parliamentarian and created a subcommittee on my campus for a voter registration drive, the first one made at my campus," she told TPR.
Arriaga partnered with the Bexar County League of Women Voters and TurnUp, a non-partisan voter registration group. She also became a student election clerk for the 2024 primary and runoff elections with the guidance of a local nonprofit, Youth Do Vote— and advocated for other students to get involved. She plans to continue her advocacy for voting on her college campus.
She said it's important that young people get involved in the political process.
"I think it is important because voting is a key characteristic to a well-functioning democracy in order to accurately represent the voice of the people, especially when it comes to 18- to 25-year-olds," said Arriaga.
"Young voters tend to be notoriously inconsistent, and because of this, we can see how it can negatively impact students, or younger generation's view on democracy and our government."
"You wouldn't want your grandparents picking out your music, so why let them pick out the people who represent you?" she said.
According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, 44.1 million members of Gen Z are eligible to vote in the upcoming election — including more than 8 million who will be able to vote for the first time.
Arriaga said politics is likely in the cards for her future. She's studying government at the University of Texas at Austin and plans to go to law school.
