Easton Murphy was up and ready at 4:30 a.m. on election day.
The 6-year-old was so excited to vote, he couldn’t sleep in any longer.
He accompanied his mother, Tori Norman, to Parkview Church of the Nazarene when it was still dark outside.
“We actually had gotten a book about voting and kind of read through it, and he absolutely loved it, and just watching the news and whatnot,” Norman said.
While Norman cast her ballot, poll workers gave Murphy a blank piece of paper so he could participate in the process, too.
“He drew the president of his choice on there, and the president’s name, and he was so excited,” Norman said.
Murphy had really been hoping to see some candidates out on the sidewalk so he could talk to them and ask them questions, Norman said — especially “Andy Bond, because he thinks she’s fabulous” — but hardly any candidates were stationed outside polling places this year.
Seeing Norman and Murphy brought back some memories for Parkview poll worker Tracey Yeager Stogsdill, whose sons are grown now. As a single mom, she took her kids with her to vote, too, but at that time, it was pretty rare to see children at the polls, she said. She’s been seeing more of them, though.
Jessica Pittman, a lifetime Brown County resident, voted in the Van Buren precinct with her second-grade daughter, Angela McQueen. McQueen said she plans to be a voter when she grows up.
Norman said her son “likes talking and asking questions, which I think is really important for kids, is them getting to understand the process.”
She believes it’s important for them “to know that their voices will be heard at such a young age. When children know that people are willing to listen to them, when they grow older, they will be able to share their opinions to make a difference.”
It’s unclear how the turnout was among registered voters of the Millennial generation — roughly, those under 40 — and younger for this election, as Brown County’s voting results system does not track voters by age or any other demographic group.
Two 18-year-olds were at Jackson Township fire station at nearly the same time the afternoon of Nov. 3, voting for the very first time.
Mariah Allender brought her son, Trever, to participate in his first election. “It was a little nervewracking, but other than that it was fine,” he said about his experience.
Barbara Perkins and her daughter, Samy, voted to re-elect President Donald Trump. “We’re pro-life. It’s very important. We have Christian values, so that was the biggest thing, I think,” Barbara said.
Samy said voting was easier than she expected it to be.
“I think I’m more excited than her, because we’re doing it together,” Barbara said. “My son didn’t want me to go with him when he turned 18 and could vote, which makes me sad. But with her, she wanted to, and it’s like, ‘Yes!’”
Other teens and 20-somethings — of voting age and even younger — found ways to participate in the process besides voting.
Marie Fields, a Brown County High School senior, made an hours-long commitment on election day. She was on the team of eight people responsible for opening 5,837 ballots that Brown County voters had mailed in or cast in person before election day. That process ended up taking about 16 hours from start to finish.
Several students and former students donned red shirts in support of Amy Oliver for school board. They stood outside polling places around the county, greeting voters on election day.
Noah Cochran was stationed outside Parkview in the 3 p.m. hour, stumping for Oliver. He had just finished his school day.
Asked if he thought that efforts such as this help sway voters, he said it’s similar to campaign signs: It shows this candidate has support. And, if a voter has any questions, he could help answer them, he said.
