WACO, Texas — With the midterm elections less than a month away, some Waco high school seniors are preparing to cast a ballot for the first time.
For University High School seniors Dyeon Martinez and Ethan Vera Cruz Riggins, the election is an opportunity to have a voice in decisions that could affect their generation and their future.
“I believe that it's important because we are the future of our country, and voting is highly important so that we can have a say,” Martinez said.
As Martinez prepares to vote, he said education is one of the issues most important to him.
“The most impactful, I would say, is education because I believe everybody needs to have access to quality education,” Martinez said.
Public safety is also among his priorities.
“We need to make sure everybody's safe, and just education and safety are the biggest concerns,” Martinez said.
For Riggins, access to health care stands out as an important issue.
“I feel like for me it's always health care because I feel like everybody in, uh, America deserves a healthy health uh like life and getting the treatment that they deserve,” Riggins said.
Riggins also had a message for other young people who may not know much about political issues or are still deciding whether to vote.
“Voting is an opportunity for you to use your voice even though you may not feel like it's a big impact,” Riggins said. “Every vote counts, and every vote is a voice being heard.”
Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 19 and runs through Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.
This story was originally reported on air by journalist Alexa Conroy and was adapted into a digital format with the assistance of AI.
