On November 4, 2016, voting will open to all those above the age of 18. Those eligible will have the opportunity to exercise our rights as citizens of the United States and cast our ballots for the person we think will best guide us through the next four years, and perhaps beyond. We may not know who will win, but each of us hopes in our hearts that whoever does win will be a worthy steward of the power invested in them as the leader of our country.
It is a common assumption that one vote in a nation of a population over 322 million would not matter. Many say that the electoral college makes individual votes insubstantial or that the population of the older generation would surpass the amount of votes of millennials. But to the millennial like myself who previously assumed my vote didn't matter, I am here to tell you your vote does matter.
A few days ago, I assumed that if I didn't vote, it would be okay because "my vote doesn't matter." When my family asked me who I was planning on voting for and I informed them I had not decided, they advised me to take an online quiz. As a millennial with a progressive view of the roll of government, I matched with the one and only, Bernie Sanders. Still, I felt I wanted to withhold my vote because I wasn't completely convinced he was the right candidate. Especially as a late teen strongly influenced by the opinions of others, I can't help but wonder why those supporting the other candidates are so passionate ... maybe I'm the wrong one?
My opinion on my influence by voting was that it did not matter until I came across data recorded from 2014's election. According to the U.S. Census data, 41.9 percent of American turned out to vote for the 2014 midterm elections. Even more astounding, only one in 10 millennial Americans between the ages 18 and 24 voted, thus meaning white Americans over the age of 65 were six times as likely to have an influence on the ballot. So this means as a population of millennials dramatically bigger than that of 65+ age Americans, we have not utilized our influence as a whole.
By examining this graph, one can easily understand the turnout of voters between the ages of 18 and 24is the lowest among all races. Imagine if more young people voted and the influence it may have on the decisions the older races have for so long influenced themselves.
It is known that young people who don't vote are more likely to choose the progressive answers. The following graph shows answers given from the American National Election Studies 2012 survey.
So with this data taken into consideration, do you now understand why a millennial should vote? If you don't vote, you don't complain. If you don't vote, you're missing out on a privilege many have fought and died for the right to have. Your voice is small in a huge presidential election because there are millions of people voting, but that does not mean that your vote doesn't matter since there are many others who have the same opinions you do, and by not voting you are giving up on what you envision. The adults are currently making choices that us millennials have little influence in making, so increasing those millennials voting is the first step towards a more vibrant, participatory democracy.
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