‘Your voice matters:’ Atlanta high schoolers share message after casting first-time vote

ATLANTA — For some young voters, the U.S. Senate runoff is the first time they have been eligible to participate in the democratic process.

Channel 2 Action News was there when some local high school students voted for the first time. They say there are too many important decisions being made without them, and they want their voices heard.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones went to southwest Atlanta, where the students got a history lesson before they cast their first ballot.

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“We’ve been in line for about an hour,” Dymond Wilcox said.

Some of the high school students are about to do something they’ve never done before.

“We were just talking about how it’s gonna go. Like are they nervous and stuff like that,” Jordan Boyd said.

“I’m just ready to get to the ballot, so I can click that button,” Wilcox said.

Before they voted, they heard and saw how some Black people had to pay a poll tax to vote at one point.

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“This is my poll tax certificate from 1960,” Loretta Green said. Green said she didn’t have to pay because she was in the military, but others paid.

“It cost people $2 or $3 to vote, but we were only making $2 or $3 a week,” Green said.

Some of the students found it hard to believe.

“I can’t believe it because that’s everyone’s right as a U.S. citizen to be able to vote,” Wilcox said.

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They then went inside the C.T. Martin Recreation Center and stood in an hour-long line.

When they got to the registration table, workers greeted them with first-time-voter applause.

The first-time voters were serenaded. Then, Wilcox got a chance to cast her ballot.

She was elated after casting her vote.

“It feels great, like I finally checked it off. I voted for the first time,” Wilcox said.

She had this message for her peers who don’t make voting a priority: “Regardless of who you vote for, just vote. Your voice matters,” Wilcox said.

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