With the midterm elections being this Wednesday (November 6th), it is crucial we know why it is so important us young voters go to the polls.
What are the Midterm Elections?
For those who aren’t aware, Midterms are the elections that take place during the halfway mark of the sitting president’s term. During Midterms, citizens from every state have the opportunity to elect state representatives to serve in Congress. Midterm elections elect all 435 members in the House as well as one-third of the current seats in the Senate.
Why is this election so important?
This particular election will have a huge impact — more than we think — because we as voters get the opportunity to change out our representatives. Right now, the House and Senate are majority Republican. We as young people have the potential to change the world, and that starts with voting.
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-2018-senate-20170217-story.html
Our generation can sway the vote.
If you look at the history of past generations, millennials and centennials are becoming the most accepting and diverse generation yet. Ranging from ethnic diversity to sexuality, The Generation Research Review and Harvard Political Review found out that:
(GRR) Young people are more tolerant of races and groups than older generations (47% vs. 19%), with 45% agreeing with preferential treatment to improve the position of minorities.
In terms of sexuality and it’s tolerance according to the Harvard Political Review,
(HPR) Also, of those ages 18 to 24, 60 percent agreed that a friend’s sexual orientation was not important [not an issue] compared to 15 percent who thought that it was.
With the world trying to keep up with the pace of our generation, it’s important that the government does too. That will only happen if our generation goes out and votes. Because of our accepting and exposed nature, we as young people are likely to vote more liberal than conservative. With our generation voting, we can sway the vote and end the current ratio of Republicans to Democrats in Congress. Unfortunately, we as millennials have the lowest voter turnout of any other age group. Because of this, older generations, like the Boomers, outnumber us in the polls and tend to vote more conservatively during elections. If more young people go to the polls on Wednesday, there will be a chance of a greater outcome and change in our future.
Whoever gains power in these seats will determine and impact our future.
The people we vote for today will become the people who dictate how things will go as we’re becoming adults. Currently, baby boomers, generation X, and traditionalists are the main ones going out to vote for our future. Do you want other people deciding for you things that won’t impact them, but you? Go out and vote for how YOU want your future to be.
Our generation is very vocal when it comes to social media, protesting, etc. But we fail to follow through when it comes to voting.
Looking back over the years, our generation has been able to come together and speak out on different issues such as; March For Our Lives, Black Lives Matter and the ALS Ice Bucket Challenges just to name a few. We as millennials and centennials are very powerful when we all come together to make a change. The same could happen at the polls. If we all come together and go out and vote, we will have the power. We as millennials and centennials count as the largest growing population in the United States. So, just imagine the turnout if we go out to vote.
Don’t waste your vote on November 6th. Every vote is a voice. Choosing to not vote, is not an option. Your future depends on it. Tweeting that things will change but not going out to make a change is pointless. Speak up and speak out by voting during this 2018 Midterm election because our future depends on it.
Below are some helpful links to look at before you go out and vote:
A quiz that will determine what political party best fits your stances on certain issues:
https://www.isidewith.com/political-quiz
To find out your local ballot choices and current officials:
Sources used in article:
https://www.thebestcolleges.org/9-reasons-we-need-young-voters-more-than-ever/
https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/reports/millennial-generation-research-review