This year many people are left anxiously waiting for election day. The events that 2020 brought such as the pandemic response, a strong push for racial equality, the condition of the economy, and much more have left many Americans with strong beliefs as to who would be the most qualified leader. People of all different political beliefs seem to believe that this is the year to vote, which is leading to an election that may potentially break records for the greatest voter turnout.

The current record for votes is 139 million votes in 2016, and the record for early voting has already been broken this year. According to CNN, right now over 75 million people have already cast their ballots. This means that over one-third of registered voters have already voted. These numbers suggest that by election day on November 3, there is a good chance that 2016’s voter turnout record could be broken. Since there are still many people who have chosen to wait until election day to cast their ballots, it is not possible to predict how many people will vote this year, but it is still very possible to believe that this election could break records.

The record in early voters can be attributed to the fact that many people are choosing to mail in their ballots because of the pandemic; however, other factors have also contributed to these statistics. This year there will be many voters who could not vote in the election due to their age and there are also many voters who chose not to vote in the 2016 election. These individuals are important because their input will help determine who wins this year’s presidential election. Especially in battleground states, where votes are often tied, these new voters will be key in determining which candidate wins each state.

Having a new record in voter turnout is important because it means that more people are using their right to decide who they believe is the most qualified candidate. Karyss Park (10) believes that “If more people vote in this year’s election, there will be a better representation of the candidate that more people will want to support.” Students of Yorba Linda High School who are old enough to vote should make sure that they contribute to this potential new record for voter turnout, and students who are still young should encourage their parents and peers to vote.

Voting is one of the most important rights that citizens of the United States have, so it is very important that everyone who is eligible to vote uses this right. The more people who vote, the better the representation in our government will be.