TUCSON, ARIZ. (KGUN) — You become a legal adult when you're 18 years old, and you also become eligible to vote.
“I feel very powerful. My voice is being heard and I have something to contribute," said Jiselle Ladriere, a student at Pueblo High School.
She received her ballot in the mail, along with the over 300 page General Election Publicity Pamhplet. "I was a bit surprised," Ladriere said, "I didn't picture the pamphlet to be that long, so I was a bit overwhelmed."
“I feel a bit of pressure, you know, just being able to make that kind of decision," said Santiago Archunde. He recently turned 18 and will be voting in-person on Election Day.
Nathan Davis teaches AP American Government, Economics, and United States History at Pueblo High School. "As a teacher, it's important to build the class culture as accepting of different beliefs."
Davis said when the vice-presidential debate aired, he showed it to his classes.
"It's OK to have a debate. It's OK to have a disagreement. It does not mean we are going to shut that conversation down, but we are going to listen to them and we can disagree with them in a civil manner,” said Davis.
Archunde explained he is excited for the opportunity, but didn't realize there would be so much on the ballot. “What’s hard about that, too, is making time throughout my schedule to also try to educate myself before I do vote, which is pretty stressful.”
Arizona is among 22 states that do not specifically address an age for registration and instead allow an individual to register if they will turn 18 by the next election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from the Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.