Midterm Elections 2022
Photo: Jon Tyson via Unsplash
As the country heads towards midterm elections, California Youth Media Network members wrote stories to help readers make the best decision.
What’s on the Ballot for the Midterm Elections
Midterm elections are quickly approaching, and it’s important to know what’s on the ballot and the importance each office holds.
This election is important because it focuses on very local positions such as the Board of Supervisors and state senate positions.
“It’s a lot both from the state level as well as the very local level, the ones that can affect people in their daily lives like the school board and city council races,” said Mary Bedard Kern County Auditor-Controller-County Clerk.
Due to how local the midterm election is it is important to vote and amplify your voice to make sure the community is represented by fair leaders. In the last midterm election in 2018, the Kern County voter turnout was 55% percent according to Bedard. Read more at Kern Sol News.
Being Young and Apolitical
Photo: Manny Becerra via Unsplash
Many young people may tune out as soon as they hear the word “political” or a fancy word that sounds like it. It can seem hard to do things like register to vote, and the whole voting and election process can seem boring. And young people who aren’t old enough to vote may think that their participation in any of it is pointless since they can’t vote yet. But none of these ideas are even close to the truth.
In fact, every student should be civically engaged within their communities.
Being civically engaged can include many different things, such as voting. But lots of young people don’t think their vote matters, so they skip the opportunity. (Skipping just one election won’t hurt, right?) Although this mindset is common, studies show that when the youth did have a higher-than-normal voter turnout, they made an impact, such as with the 2020 presidential election. Read more at YR Media.
Los Angeles-based Boyle Heights Beat had the chance to interview both LA mayoral candidates.
Rick Caruso: to deal with gentrification, LA needs a mayor who knows how to build
Photo: Courtesy of Boyle Heights Beat
Rick Caruso said that he is not looking to be a career politician and that what Los Angeles needs as its next mayor is an executive who can manage, not a legislator like the incumbent or his opponent. The mayoral candidate also said that Boyle Heights needs to be cleaner and safer, and addressed issues of gentrification, drug abuse and homelessness during a Zoom interview with Boyle Heights Beat student journalists on Wednesday.
Caruso was friendly, professional and composed while answering all of the students’ questions, although he seemed unnerved over a series of questions about his pro-choice stance. “Good question,” he complimented a student after a particularly tough inquiry.
The mayoral candidate was interviewed two days after spending a day campaigning in Boyle Heights and the session began with questions about his personal ties to the neighborhood. Read more at Boyle Heights Beat.
Karen Bass: heartbroken over Kevin de León’s refusal to resign
Photo: Screenshot of Karen Bass interview with Boyle Heights Beat students. Photo by Kris Kelley.
Karen Bass said that Councilmember Kevin de León broke her heart over racist comments he and other civic leaders made on a leaked audio recording and his refusal so far to resign from office. “I hope that he comes to grips with reality,” she said. Bass also accused her adversary Rick Caruso of lying about her acceptance of a scholarship at USC. “My opponent, who has spent $72 million, can do and say anything,” she complained.
The mayoral candidate responded to a series of questions from Boyle Heights Beat youth reporters during a Zoom call early Saturday. Bass had originally scheduled an in-person meeting in Boyle Heights but switched to a virtual interview at the last minute because of scheduling conflicts.
Bass was warm and friendly as she responded – even complimenting students on their preparation. “By the way, all of your questions are excellent,” the congresswoman commented before tackling a tough issue. Read more at Boyle Heights Beat.
Photo: Joshua Sukoff via Unsplash
Navigating Politics as a Teen: Where Do I Fit?
A lot is going on right now. From Supreme Court decisions to midterm elections, I can’t help but feel like politics are in complete chaos. But there’s another layer that only makes me feel worse — my age.
It’s hard for me to know what to do in response to current events. I always hear suggestions to take action — like volunteering with campaigns or advocating for legislation. But I’m still struggling to find my place.
Because as a teen too young to vote — even when I try to participate — I don’t feel heard. The average age of members of the US House of Representatives last year was 58 years old and 63 for senators. And, neither of those ages are close to mine. Read more at YR Media.