The election has finally come to an end, and it has created dramatic changes for both the nation and the Irvine community. High school juniors and seniors are especially passionate when it comes to politics and have strong views about their roles as future voters.

Democratic candidate and city councilwoman Farrah N. Khan won the race for Irvine mayor, according to the Orange County Register. She has taken over the seat formerly held by Christina L. Shea, who was Irvine’s Republican mayor in 1996, 1998 and 2019. 

Irvine has had a gradual shift from Republican to Democratic in the last few years, especially during this election. Irvine has not had a Democratic mayor since 2010, according to Voice of OC.

Senior Raksha Rajeshmohan is planning to vote as soon as she is eligible, and she deeply values smart voter research using unbiased sources that do not favor certain political parties.

“In regards to politics, [teens] need to know how to seek out unbiased sources. Media today is so biased that it’s so easy to have a political stance be forced upon you just because of what you hear in school or what you hear in the media,” Rajeshmohan said. “I truly believe that teenagers and young people should be able to form their own opinions based on policies.”

Rajeshmohan said she is aware of the importance of voting when it comes to making local decisions that impact cities like Irvine directly.

“I think that a lot of people do research on political candidates, but things like the propositions, we see ads for ‘vote yes or no on prop 22’ by Uber, but we don’t do research on those,” Rajeshmohan said. “Smaller things like the city council, we have a say on those things, too. So making sure you do research on all the things you’re voting for, is really important. Not just for president.”

Mariana Bogosian, another senior and soon-to-be voter, voiced her concerns about voter suppression.

“I’ve heard a lot of things about election or polling places closing down and people not having access to them,” Bogosian said. “But I think that the system should make it more accessible to everybody who has the right to vote so everyone’s voice can be heard equally…I know that in communities of people of color, that’s a very prominent thing.”

Both Rajeshmohan and Bogosian said that they value the education they receive from Passion Civics, which teaches students about American government, politics, economy and how to be engaged in those areas in the future.

“Mr. Resendez does a really good job of educating us on how we should be educating ourselves,” Bogosian said. “In terms of candidates, obviously we don’t get taught that, so it’s important for me to still seek out that information when I do end up voting in the future.”

Northwood High junior Avery Ngo, voiced her opinions about the amount of power an individual voter can actually hold. 

“To be honest, I feel like I have very little power…because there are just an overwhelming number of voices,” Ngo said. “But I do think that there is power in groups. If I would like to have more power, I would just get involved in a movement or group, and that would make my voice more heard.”