As we approach the upcoming midterm elections, you might be asked by random people if you’re registered to vote around campus. Although registering to vote is a relatively easy task, only 46.1% of young adults who were eligible to vote in the 2016 election actually voted.
Now, you may ask yourself, “Self, why should I vote? My one vote can’t make that much of an impact!” And, yes, your one vote really won’t make that much of an impact in the grand scheme of things. However, when you and all of your peers don’t vote, you neglect your civic responsibility, and you contribute to the statistic and overall trend of young adults failing to partake in elections.
Especially here in Utah, the young adult vote can make a large impact. In Utah, only 57.7% of all eligible voters cast their opinion for the 2016 election. With the low voting rate in Utah, and the trend of young adults to not vote, our elections are determined by the few, rather than the many.
With lower proportions of voters voicing their thoughts in elections, results are more likely to be skewed towards extreme results.
Despite the fact that young adult voters tend to lean towards liberal or independent parties, the young vote is extremely important no matter your political perspective. If we are able to change this trend among young adults, our political climate could slowly adapt to be more representative of the actual voting population.
So, how do I register to vote? Registering to vote is a very easy process! You can visit this link to register in Utah, and you only need to enter your address, a Utah driver’s license number, your birth date, and you may need to decide which political party you’d like to be affiliated with. You can also check to see if you are registered at this link.
If you wish, you can also register to vote via a mail-in form, found here.
The date of the midterm elections is November 6th. You have the choice to vote in person or through a mail-in ballot, and you can decide which option you prefer as you register to vote.
Also, in addition to affirming your voice in politics, registering to vote can also help you establish residency at the University of Utah!
So, get out there, and rock the vote!
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