Britain has decided to Brexit stage left out of the European Union, and I think we’re all still a little shocked (to say the least). Brexit was one of Britain’s most controversial pieces of legislation in years and its lasting effects will make the longest impression on the lives of young voters…so why didn’t more 18-24 year-olds participate? We may not know the exact numbers involved in Brexit's voter turnout, but historically, this age group has had the lowest percentage of any.
Some sources are claiming that only 36 percent of the 18-24 age group came to vote. And of that 36 percent more than 70 percent voted to remain in the EU. Oh, and did I mention that the decision to Brexit was 51.9 percent LEAVE AND 49.1 percent remain? These numbers are way too close for comfort. You can see what i'm getting at here. The young voter group had the power to sway the election and they didn't even realize it. Think about it: If the decision was solidified by an approximate 1,269,501 votes, and only 492,306 of the estimated 3,806,471 18-24 year-olds eligible registered to vote in time for the referendum (granted, part of this age group was already registered), then the remaining number of 18-24 year olds that didn't register could have quite possibly swayed the election in their favor, and Britain would still be chillin in the EU today.
The numbers of support are surprising, considering how harshly young voters are taking the decision. Living as part of the European Union is part of their identity; they feel that they cannot be as a separate nation. Students will no longer have the automatic option to study abroad, to work and live in EU nations without the hassle of dealing with visas, or to fly an EU flag.
So if Britain's young voters are so distraught at the decision to Brexit, why didn't more of them participate???
I need mention that the 36-percent statistic seemed to appear out of thin air and the evidence to support it cannot be found and everything I just said could be completely invalid... but what if it's not? What if that really is the percentage of voters in that age group that chose to have a say in the referendum? What if our age group really could have changed the outcome?
*Enter America*
Our once great country is going through some really bad stuff right now, and a lot of it has been pinned on the government. And in addition to that, the entire world will be watching the presidential election come November. But how about instead of just making lengthy Facebook posts about Trump vs. Clinton, we get our asses out of bed on November 8th and oh, I don't know, do this crazy thing called vote. In U.S. elections, 18-24 year-olds can make up as little as 13 percent of the voting age's population, because so many in this age group refuse to participate, forget about it, or "don't have time." If our age group took its role in the voting process as seriously as it should, then we could be the ones deciding the next president.
I'm not trying to talk about politics; I'm not taking sides; I'm taking notice of the impact our age group could have on a monumental decision, and encourage everyone else to do the same. The curtain on Brexit may have closed, but it's not too late for America. Take this as a warning for the upcoming election and save everyone from the pain of reading your social media posts whining about the state of the results. We are not insignificant. We are powerful. We have voices. So let's stop complaining and use them to make the change that we want to see.
