Many locations became filled with voters to vote for this year’s general election in November.

People from all over Hamilton County came together to help volunteer to work the election polls. This included students who were involved in Youth at the Booth.

“Working at the polls allowed me to see the process behind voting and gave me confidence for when I will need to vote next year,” said Melinda Looney, 12.

Hamilton County wanted tech savvy teenagers to help out with the new ePoll books. There were many complications in the last November election, and the county wanted to try out something new.

They also encouraged 17 and 18-year-olds to come work, in order to get more involved in the voting process.

“The other volunteers were mostly retired adults. There was also very few young voters who showed up,” Looney said.

Counties around Ohio have been slowly trying out Youth at the Booth for a couple of elections, and it seems to be having success. It gives students a chance to experience what the behind the scenes is like during elections.

“[Youth at the Booth and poll workers exemplify] the hard work and dedication exhibited by all election workers across the country. I hope that they will…act as an example for their peers,” said R. Steven Hicks, chairman of medical media products firm HealthTronics.

Youth at the Booth will continue to help encourage young and new voters to get involved in politics.

Also, as technology continues to get more advanced, the need for younger, tech-savvy students will increase.