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Young Arkansans hitting campaign trails to encourage first-time voters

Young people are hitting the campaign trails in Arkansas to make sure young and first-time voters are casting their ballots.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Young people are hitting the campaign trails in Arkansas to make sure young and first-time voters are casting their ballots.

"I know one thing about young people is that despite what it seems, we are pretty educated on the issues," Solonom Ni said.

First-time and young voters tend to get a bad rap, but Solonom Ni with the Young Democrats of Arkansas and Laneigh Phalser with the Young Republicans of Arkansas are making sure their peers make it to the polls.

"This year we are not actually door knocking, COVID, we are just lip-dropping at the doors," Phalser said.

In Pulaski County alone, people between the ages of 18-25 make up about 10 percent of registered voters. 

On Monday, the last day to register, the county clerk's office had 600 people register in person, a majority of them young voters.

"Young people make up a very large population if they do come out and vote," Ni said.

Phalser is educating young voters on the importance of the smaller races, and not necessarily just focusing on the presidential race.

"All of these down-ballot races are so much more important than the grand scheme of things," she said.

They say being educated about the other issues and local candidates can make a big difference.

"A lot of the issues we talk about on the federal level, those are things that can be done locally. Your county can impose taxes on you, your cities can impose taxes on you," Ni said.

 

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