When I was in elementary school I was so excited to get the right to vote. I saw the lead up to the 2008 presidential election and was beyond engrossed in what was happening. As I progressed into high school that childlike wonder of politics was diluted. I started to see politics for what it really is. Then when I thought I'd never be one who would vote in a presidential election I had a teacher change the entire way I looked at the presidential election.
I was a junior in high school at this point in my life and Mrs. Huckstep was one of the most influential teachers I've ever had. She completely changed my perspective on voting and I am now a registered voter, although this isn't something I'd ever thought I would do. Mrs. Huckstep put voting into terms that we as a younger generation could understand. She said that she thought a lot of candidates might do a lot better in running for president if they appealed to younger generations. And how true is that? I know from personal experience and talking with some of my peers that generations who recently have become qualified to vote don't want to simply because they are uninformed and they don't feel like their opinion matters.
Voting rates in those aged 18-24 years old has fallen from 50 percent in 1964 to 38 percent in 2012 (census.gov). I find that statistic completely mind-blowing because young adults are often the most opinionated. Part of the blame for this decrease in voting in young people comes from politicians themselves. Although they are "fighting for your vote," they rarely include young adults in their campaign. If they took the time to reach out, the results of elections could be drastically different.
As a generation full of creative, bright, intuitive young people, we have the power to change the world. Although it sounds cliché, it is a very true statement. If we took the time to get to our local voting venue during the upcoming election, imagine the impact we as young voters could make.
The upcoming election will be an interesting one to say the least. With Donald Trump as a front runner, I can only say that I never thought it would come to this. I remember my parents always would always joke around about how Trump was threatening to run for president. Hilary Clinton wasn't ever someone I thought would run either and even though this race has more candidates than the cast of "The Brady Bunch," we have to make a choice.
I don't want to put my political opinions in anyone else's mind. I do, however, want to change the way young people think about voting. You can make a difference. That being said, you cannot expect to make a difference by sitting at home and ignoring voting altogether for whatever reason it might be. Yes. Voting is scary and overwhelming. But it's our duty as the youngest generation who have the right to vote to go out and vote.
