MILWAUKEE — Next November will be University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman Skye Anderson’s first election.
The 18-year-old says she doesn’t know who she plans to vote for and hadn’t really thought about it until now.
“I’ve never really been into it, I’ve just always gone with what my mom does. Whoever she votes for, I’ve just been like, ‘okay, let’s go with that,’” said Anderson.
Skye remembers her mother bringing her along on Election Day and seeing the process up close.
“She would take us to the schools, where you vote and we would wait in line. She would tell us, ‘Don’t tell people who you vote for.’ She would say, ‘Oh, I’m going for this person because I don’t like what this person is doing and I like what this person is doing and he’s going to fix this,’” said Anderson.
Young, undecided voters like Skye are part of the base that people like former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker are trying to get.
Walker is now the president of Young America’s Foundation, an outreach organization that works to introduce young voters to what they call the “principles of conservatism.”
Walker says the debate is a big opportunity to reach a wide audience.
“It wasn't just primary voters. It was people would vote in the general election, including some young people, and I think you risk losing yet one more opportunity to speak to all voters but particularly to 18- to 29-year-olds,” said Walker.
While Skye says she originally didn’t plan to tune in, she’s now curious about what may happen and says she wants to see the candidates touch on issues that affect people like her.
“Maybe really talk about the problems we have with our country and what we should do to fix it and who are the people who are running and tell us about what they can do,” said Anderson.
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