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As a young person who may not be expected to vote, you could have a real impact on which candidate (and party) is elected into office.
According to ElectProject.org, only about 20% of eligible voters ages 18-29 are expected to vote in non-presidential elections. Therefore, if more young people DO cast their votes, they can have a serious impact on the election of a certain candidate as a demographic whose votes weren’t originally taken into account. Young people have significantly more political power than they might think – remember Obama’s election of 2008!
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Voting is a chance to exercise your right as a U.S. citizen, a right that not every young person in the world is offered.
The fact that every adult citizen has the right to vote, no matter their gender, social standing, or economic power, is not guaranteed in many countries around the world. Other nations may give citizens the right to vote only to hold elections corrupted by unfair counting methods or voter intimidation. To neglect to register to vote in the U.S. is to discount all those around the world who are not afforded this right. A vote not cast is a vote in compliance with “whatever happens,” – meaning if you don’t vote you sort of can’t complain if you don’t agree with the elected politicians later on!
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Registering today means you won’t have to worry about it in a few weeks – don’t wait!
In an article for Blooberg.com, author Natalie Kitroeff notes that not being registered is one of the major reasons young people cite for not having voted. It’s one thing to be interested in politics and supportive of certain ideologies, but on voting day if you’re not actually registered your voice won’t be heard. If you’re planning to vote this November, take a moment to register today or this weekend as opposed to waiting until the last minute!
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You’ll be all set to vote in the 2016 presidential election.
It’s totally understandable to know more about the 2016 candidates for the national election than you might about your local candidates running for office this November. However, losing your “voter virginity” during a less publicized election cycle will make voting for president next year a piece of cake! You only have to register once, and if you vote this year you’ll already know the drill for 2016.
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State and local elections have more of a direct impact on your day-to-day life.
Although it’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of a presidential election, we have to remember that we won’t actually be voting for a new president until 2016. And hey, there’s another election happening in less than a month! Local elections for city council persons, school board, or sheriff will actually play a much larger role in your day to day life than an election for president. Find out about issues facing your community on the ballot this year, and exercise your vote for those who are effecting policy much closer to home.
Find out how you can register to vote with helpful sites like USA.gov. Make sure to read the fine print – for example, in Massachusetts you must register 20 days before the election.
Then, Check out Ballotpedia to easily get informed about the leadership and campaign issues of the state you’re registered to vote in. Whether you choose to vote in the state where you go to school, or find that you’d rather absentee vote in the elections at home, casting your ballot is an important part of being a contributing citizen.