Vote Wisely: SHS Students' Preferences in Choosing a Mayor

Abstract

Results of the 2019 mayoral elections created quite a stir with a new breed of mayors winning against formidable dynasties. Such changes seem to reflect a new perspective among the voting public. And looking at first time voters, the researchers sought to know the standards set by the Senior High School students on the characteristics and capabilities of a leader within their community, to raise awareness on knowing who they vote by thorough assessment, considering one's background and qualities of an electoral candidate. The researchers utilized the Descriptive Research Design. The respondents were 106 Senior High School students of St. Mary's College Quezon City. Data was collected in the respective classrooms of each academic strand which consists of four (4) in levels of Grade 11 and 12, namely STEM, ABM, HumSS, and GAS. The data used in the gathering of this research covered fifty-five percent (55%) of the 192 Senior High School Students. The Senior High School students were chosen to be the respondents since they are considered as the next generation of voters, specifically for mayors, in the next election. Data gathering was conducted from September 17 to 30, 2019. The researchers used self-administered survey questionnaires to collect the needed data. The following skills were "highly considered" by the Senior High School Students in looking for a mayor: courage, forward-thinking, honestly, inspiring, intelligence, educational foundation, and political background. Among the top measures they do to evaluate the candidates, 3 of 4 respondents said they base on own conscience, while 71% of respondents will be careful of what he or she reads and believes. Study shows that SHS students can be critical of the qualities they prefer in a mayor. This implies that the next generation voters have a set of standards before they support a public official. Thus, it will be beneficial to reach out to this next batch of voters and provide them with a good foundation on selecting their mayor. School teachers, especially in the Araling Panlipunan area, can take this as an opportunity to mold the youth into being more sound and conscientious voters. The researchers suggest to future researchers to expand the scope of the study to include political and social views of other groups. The study only exhibits the preference of Senior High School Students without comparison, thereby making it open for future and upcoming studies relative to political and social topic.