With everything going on in the world today, it’s so much easier to just close your laptop or unfollow the president on Twitter, but these actions define our generation. When our country votes, it’s truly a privilege to have the freedom to voice our opinions for future generations to come. However, we have a huge problem with young adults just simply not going to the polls. Being educated on voting doesn’t mean you necessarily have to be absorbed in politics. It means you care about our country’s current situation and one single vote can make change.
Did you know, young voters account for half of the voting population? Fifty percent makes us a force to be reckoned with, and we need to take advantage of this. In every election, the issue that arises is that of 18 to 29-year-olds are not present at the poll. The voting population today consists of baby boomers and millennials almost equally. Therefore, it’s only a matter of time until millennials becoming the most powerful group to direct future elections. Unfortunately, a lot of people who can vote, won’t. I get it – voting just always seemed like something we would have to deal with at our parents age, but times have changed. We are the generation that needs to make some serious change and it needed to happen yesterday.
Although we may have forgotten the basics from our high school civilizations studies class, we have to make the adult decision for ourselves to want to know what’s happening in our world. When it seems like most of the news is always bad, it’s easier to pretend it doesn’t exist, but when millions of us do this, it can be quite scary. We can not turn a blind eye to simply “not knowing” anymore, as it just isn’t an option in the society we live in today.
One of the biggest reasons young adults don’t vote is because they feel like their individual vote has no value. Although it’s true that every single vote matters, it was proven during President Obama’s election and the overwhelming support he had from our generation. This was one of the key aspects for the success of his campaign and election.
What’s so great about our generation is how diverse it is. This allows us to have so many perspectives all at once, but none of them matter if we don’t actually voice them.
When it comes to politics, in the past it seems as if we just didn’t need to be affiliated at all, and we’ve almost been taught to keep it that way. Yet like I said, the time we live in today couldn’t have been predicted by anyone, which is why educated young voters need to rise up and understand the importance of becoming this country’s next majority decision makers. Plus, it’s super easy to become educated with todays technology and resources more than ever before – we need to take advantage of this.
A great place for information is The Daily Skimm. It provides you with a ballot cheat sheet based off where you live, letting you know exactly who you will be voting for and why. Although these resources exist, never be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions.
You may not care right now, but you will in another few years. This will include adulthood challenges such as student loan debt, struggling to find a job, paying for healthcare or voting for a new president. When you vote, you protect your right to all of these things, so don’t shy away from your voice any longer – GO OUT AND VOTE!