Anyone can say that they support women's rights. Or LGBTQ rights. Or human rights issues around the world. Or the future of our generations. Hundreds of videos about racial discrimination issues, environmental issues and everything in between go viral every single day. And yet, voter turnout is always extremely low, especially among the youth.
People share Facebook posts about issues they're passionate about all the time, but all of that means absolutely nothing if these same people who claim to champion human rights and equality don't actually turn up to vote.
Voting in elections isn't just about who the next president will be. During midterm elections, voting is about deciding who you want to represent your voice, your stances on social and political issues, and your image to the rest of the nation. The senators and representatives of a district and a state are the people who will be casting the deciding votes in major issues such as healthcare, tax cuts, and approval of Supreme Court justices. Yet, voter turnout in these midterm elections are at 40%, 20% lower than turnout for presidential elections, which stands at 60%. As if that statistic isn't low enough, voter turnout among youth ages 18-29 stand at a whopping 30%. Only one in three eligible youth will vote in these political elections.
There are many excuses people can come up with for not voting, ranging from being "too busy" or just "I forgot". I'm sorry, but if there's sufficient time for someone to voice their opinions on issues on social media every single day, there is time to spend 5 minutes to register to vote, and about 2 minutes to fill out the physical ballot. The government mails the ballots to your doorstep, and there are plenty of drop off places for these ballots during election season as well.
The excuse that "the wait in line to vote in person is too long" shouldn't be valid either. If you can wait 45 minutes to go on a one minute roller coaster ride at Disneyland, you can wait 45 minutes to vote for a representative who will be your voice for at least two years.
If you have never voted before and see politics as a useless, complicated mess, you're not completely wrong. Politics today is a complicated mess, but it is far from useless. These people in power decide on whether you have the right to choose as a woman or if someone who makes millions of dollars a year gets to pay less tax than you do. If you cast your ballot and send a representative who actually represents your beliefs, changes you want to see may actually occur.
For more information about representatives and senators in your area, check out the United States government website. Although it is too late to register to vote online in some states, there is still a chance to vote in person.
No matter which political party you side with, please vote.
Let your voice be heard, and let our government officials be elected by real democracy.
