First-time voters ponder election choices

Being a senior in high school is exciting. Being a senior in high school during an election year is even better.

As Maryville High School seniors prepare themselves for the taste of freedom and independence, many of them are exercising one of the first rights adulthood gives them: voting.

One senior, Colin Arnold, takes the right to vote very seriously.

“It’s our duty as Americans to vote,” Arnold said. “Especially in this election, which is so different from other elections in our lifetimes. There is no reason to abstain.”

Senior Kathlean Donaldson agreed.

“Millennial voters could put a candidate ahead if they all agreed on one,” Donaldson said. “Most millennials these days are liberals, and if they all vote for Hillary (Clinton), she will win.”

That would be a desirable outcome for Donaldson, as she will be voting for Clinton.

“She believes in everything I believe in, and I don’t think one mistake should define you,” Donaldson said. “I’ve watched all of her speeches and campaign events, done plenty of research, and fact-checked everything I’ve seen, and that pointed me to vote for Hillary.”

Senior Blake Clements had a similar moment where he figured he should vote for the former secretary of state.

“I wish our choices would have been better, but I’m still glad to be part of such a big election,” Clements said. “I took a couple of tests which told me that my views agreed with Hillary’s.

“For instance, she wants to help Syrian refugees and allow them into the United States, and she believes in global warming. Trump disagrees with all of that.”

Senior Frederic Goudge came to support Clinton reluctantly.

“If I could have voted in the primaries, I would have voted in the Republican primary for Marco Rubio,” Goudge said. “I’m voting for Hillary because I can’t agree with Trump economically.

“You can’t run the country like a business. You can’t just try to intimidate Putin or Kim Jong-un at the negotiating table like Trump would.”

Some students became decided voters early on. Though he would have voted for Rubio in the primary, Arnold bought into the Republican platform with Trump as the nominee.

“Even though I didn’t support him in the primary, I support him now,” Arnold said. “The other side is Hillary, and there’s no way I could morally swing that way to support the most corrupt politician in history.”

Goudge also identifies as a conservative, but is voting for Clinton based on who he believes she is.

“She went further left, and I think betrayed the Democratic Party, in order to win the primaries because Bernie (Sanders) was dragging her further to the left,” Goudge said. “Once she’s elected, she will return to being the left-of-center politician she has always truly been.

“She has a great record of being able to reach across the aisle, and that’s going to benefit her when she becomes president.”

Donaldson considers herself a liberal. In the Democratic primary she would have voted for Bernie Sanders, but switched to the Clinton camp due to the Democrat’s social values.

“I’m pro-choice, I’m gay, and I have a girlfriend,” Donaldson said. “Trump’s values are not my values.

“Clinton, on the other hand, would make it a lot easier to push women’s rights forward in this country, because even though some men are trying, they don’t know what it’s like to be a woman. Having a woman in office will add that perspective.”

Of course come Nov. 8, there is a lot more than the presidency at stake.

Missouri voters will go to the polls looking to elect a U.S. senator and a U.S. representative. Half of the Missouri Senate seats and all of the state House seats are also in play, and in a hotly contested race, Lt. Gov. Chris Koster is running against former Navy SEAL Eric Greitens for governor.

Arnold said he was not as aware of the “down ballot” races, but was confident in voting straight-ticket for the Republican party.

“I’m a Republican, so I’m probably voting Republican in those races,” Arnold said. “I’m not as researched on them, but the government runs more efficiently when the Republicans are in charge.

“It is still important to educate yourself on any and all races if you can. I just haven’t had the chance to do so yet.”

Goudge came to a similar conclusion.

“I agree with conservatives economically, but I’m socially liberal — pro-women’s choice, pro-gay marriage,” Goudge said. “I’ll likely be voting for Republicans down the ticket, even though I can’t support Trump for president.”

Missourians will also vote on several amendments to the state Constitution. Nodaway County will be electing a sheriff and a North District county commissioner.

In Maryville, there is a transient guest tax on the ballot, which Donaldson supports.

“I agree with the guest tax,” Donaldson said. “It’s not going to offset costs too badly or cost too much.”