In today’s world, we are lucky enough to be able to Google search our every wonder with just a few clicks of a mouse. It’s easier to become informed about almost anything by using the Internet. The problem is, however, that even with easy access to information regarding politics, young adults just aren’t getting involved in national voting. Only 23% of people ages 18-29 voted in the 2014 midterm election, down from the 25% that voted in 2010. Only 50% of those people are even registered to vote, and of that 50%, half of them will not identify with a political party, and consider themselves Independents.
As young adults become less and less involved in the political process, it has everyone asking: Why is the millennial generation so apathetic towards politics?
It’s not that we don’t care. Young people are a world changing force, and this is shown through incredible community service, start-ups, and a lot of other positive action on the local level. But 18 to 29 year olds just don’t like the political arena. They have become so discouraged by the partisanship and scandals that are now broadcast 24/7 on numerous news channels. It’s hard to endorse a candidate whose dirty laundry has been constantly dissected until you forget what his positions are. The problem isn’t that we aren’t paying attention; it’s that we don’t like what we see from any of the possible candidates.
Here at Notre Dame, students are passionate about a lot of issues that politicians try to work out every day in Congress. 690 students traveled to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life in January. We have clubs advocating for both Democrats and Republicans. This university definitely has opinions, and offers an education in how to effectively express them.
College students specifically need to take their opinions to the polls because politicians are making decisions today that will affect us for the rest of our lives. Things such as student loan reform, Social Security problems, public education funding, and immigration issues will affect each and every one of us, whether we involved ourselves in the decision or not.
Rock the Vote is a campaign started in 1990 to encourage young people to register and vote. It is an incredibly organization, gaining celebrity endorsements from Madonna to Coldplay to Wiz Khalifa. Their mission is simple: get young people to vote. Their website includes a quick online registration, options to request absentee ballots, and general information about voting to demystify the process for young adults. This generation has the possibility to become the largest voting block in the country i.e. politicians are vying for our hearts. Don’t leave them hanging. If you have the possibility to make a difference, you have a responsibility to make a difference.
“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
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