I was sitting with my grandmother at the kitchen table the other day. We were eating breakfast, and she was reading the newspaper. She turns to me and asks how I feel about the Supreme Court's decision on gay marriage. I say that I think it's a great thing, and she said that she just does not understand it. My grandmother is not against gay people, she accepts and loves everyone. However, she explained that marriage has been between a man and woman her whole life, so this is something new that is difficult for her to comprehend.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 38 percent of 18-24 year olds voted in 2012. This is a lower voting rate than any other age group. The little amount of the youth that does vote, combined with the old-fashioned ideals of the majority of people who are voting is the cause of our country's slow progression toward more modern ideals.
It is fairly easy to register to vote, and it doesn’t take much time. Don't you wish you had a say in what our politicians are doing?
However, it is only worth registering if you are ready to do your part as a U.S. citizen. There is no point in registering if you don’t vote and you aren’t educated when you do vote. You are not helping anyone if you walk in to vote and just choose a random candidate.
There is an easy solution to figuring out where your nearest polling station is, getting there, waiting in line there, and potentially casting an uneducated vote. I know a lot of adults who do and recommend this way of voting. Absentee voting is a very practical way for young adults to vote.
After you sign up for absentee voting, every time there is an election or need to vote, your ballot is mailed to you and a couple days later you mail back your filled-out ballot. It is easy to still be lazy with your voting when you are involved in absentee voting, but many people have recommended a certain method to me to ensure that you cast an educated vote.
Grab your laptop and your ballot and take a couple of hours out of your day to research what you will be voting on. If you are voting for candidates, research what they stand for on topics that are important to you and make your decision based on which candidate you would approve of in office. Also, do not feel obligated to stick to your political party’s ideals. When voting on bills and things of that nature, make sure to research what the law really means and not just what the paid commercials on TV tell you.
It is not difficult to take part in our country's politics, and we should take advantage of the opportunity we have to participate.
We could make our voices heard.
