This is Democracy – Episode 13: New and Future Voters: Why Does This Election Matter So Much?

This week, Jeremi meets with UT freshman Juliet Suarez and first time voter Jillian B. Smith. They discuss the importance of voting in the midterm elections, and how the right to vote could extend further to all U.S. residents in the future. Zachary sets up the interview with his poem, “Vote for Me.” Juliet Suarez is a Mexican citizen who has lived in Texas for the past 10 years. She is currently a freshman IRG and sociology major in the Liberal Arts Honors program at UT. She is passionate about political issues; thus, despite lacking the ability to vote, she seeks opportunities to participate in politics in whatever other ways she can. Jillian Smith is from Frisco, TX and is currently a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin. She is studying Government, Middle Eastern Studies, and Arabic. In her hometown, she was engaged in local politics and policy under the mentorship of a city councilwoman.