LEESBURG Chad Massey II will turn 18 years old on Feb. 12, making him eligible to register to vote.
Massey, a senior at Umatilla High School, is excited for the opportunity, but participating in America s democracy does not come without apprehension. Massey sees a political climate growing more contentious by the day with accusations of election fraud, violence and hyper-partisanship and is unsure whether his vote will matter. It s a broken world, he said.
As Joe Biden, the nation s 46th president, prepares for his inauguration Wednesday, more than 21,500 National Guard members were mobilized to Washington, D.C. The increased security comes after a riot broke out at the Capitol on Jan. 6 as Congress sought to certify Biden s victory against Donald Trump. Five people died, and more than 70 people (and counting) face federal charges. Elected officials hid beneath desks.