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U Mass Boston | Life

If You’ve Never Voted Before, Here’s 5 Reasons Why You Should

Updated Published
Cameron Howard Student Contributor, University of Massachusetts - Boston
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Boston chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Let’s be real, voting in the United States is harder than it should be. There are many barriers that prevent people from voting, even if they want to. Finding your polling location, understanding your ballot, and making a plan to vote takes a lot of time and effort on the behalf of the voter. Because it’s harder to vote, it’s more important to vote as much as you can. I’m not the only one who believes in the importance of voting so, in honor of National Voter Education Week, here’s five reasons why you should vote. 

  1. DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE ARE BEING MADE WITHOUT YOU

According to the Census Bureau, the largest electorate bloc are people ages 45 to 65. They make up 31% of the electorate. Only about 12% are ages 18 to 24. That means that policies and decisions that will last for decades are being decided without the voices of the people they will affect the most. Tuition prices, climate action, reproductive rights, cost of living, civil rights, and more aren’t just abstract political ideologies, they’re real policy decisions being made every day. If you’re not voting, you’re letting other people make these decisions without you.

  1. AFFLUENT VOICES SHOULDN’T BE THE ONLY ONES LISTENED TO IN POLITICS

Politicians listen to the people who show up and make their voices heard. Historically, those people are the wealthy and the affluent. These people have more time and resources to make sure they and their families can vote. Rich people already have the resources to lobby and create coalitions for personal interests. This disparity in participation means that the concerns of lower income, racial and ethnic minorities, and legal immigrants are far less likely to get the policy outcomes they want and need. Affluent Americans have completely different political interests than lower income Americans. This is why economic policy seems to always favor the wealthy, because elected officials don’t fear low income Americans at the ballot box. The affluent love the status quo, and low income Americans not using their right to vote is exactly what they want.

  1. GENERATIONS BEFORE YOU FOUGHT FOR THIS RIGHT

Every American knows that, in the beginning of the nation’s history, voting was exclusive to white, land-owning men. Then, in order, the nation slowly gave voting rights to all white men, black men, women, Indigenous Americans, and Chinese Americans. The government didn’t make it easy to get these rights either, the previous generations had to violently fight for this most basic right. Even after the 15th Amendment gives black men the right to vote, states put up intense voting barriers to stop them from getting to the ballot box. Barriers like poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence and intimidation were all prevalent for black voters until 1965 when the Voting Rights Act was passed. Women didn’t get the right to vote until 1920, when the 19th Amendment was ratified. That’s 132 years after our nation was founded. Use the power that was given to you by the previous generations. They didn’t have this power to vote, and they did everything to make sure you did.

  1. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A POLITICAL EXPERT TO VOTE

Everyone should vote, regardless of how much or how little you know about what’s on the ballot. You don’t need to have the deepest familiarity with political candidates to do a little research and cast your ballot. Don’t let anyone intimidate you or make you feel stupid just because you can’t keep up with everything happening in politics! The news cycle moves way too fast and it’s impossible to know everything. Please vote regardless of what you know, your ballot has the same value as a politician’s or a political insider’s. 

  1. DEMOCRACY ONLY WORKS WHEN WE DO

A government by the people, for the people, can only live up to that promise when the people participate. Showing up to vote is the most direct way to claim your stake in this nation’s policy decisions. So many people think that they are just one small voice, and their vote alone won’t do anything. They may be right, but think about the fact that hundreds of thousands of Americans have the same mindset. If all of these voters showed up, our politicians would hear us! Showing up to vote is the most direct way to remind our politicians that they work for us.

Cameron Howard

U Mass Boston '26

Cam Howard is a senior studying Political Science with a passion for public policy and civic engagement. Serving as Editor-in-Chief for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 terms, he leads with a commitment to elevating student voices and fostering strong editorial collaboration. As a student advocate, Cam actively works to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process through voter registration and outreach initiatives. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Master’s degree to further his work in policy and advocacy.