Why don’t Millennials vote? Probably because many young people see as a pointless expression that brings about no real change.
There are many explanations for why Americans feel voting is important. Millennials are the largest living generation, and also make up the same proportion in voting population as the baby boomers. Assuming that there is power in voting, this gives Millennials power to make decisions about the future of our country, and potentially, a lot of political clout to change the structure of our current system. The fact is, millennials don’t utilize it.
Millennials seek revolutionary political action and change, but we have the lowest voter turnout rates. Presidential elections tend to draw out larger numbers in all age groups, but in mayoral elections, the average voting age is 60 years old.
With the way our current system works, it takes a while for decisions to be made in congress. If young people want to see change on local and state level, then you have to vote in every election. Not just the elections for the well-known candidates or on the hot-topic issues.
In the 2012 Presidential election, voters between the ages of 18-29 made up only 19 percent of the electorate, that’s half the share of the Baby Boomer voting bloc which is 38 percent of the electorate. These numbers are even smaller during midterm elections, and on the local or state level.
During this campaign season, Bernie Sanders was the obvious choice for young voters. Many saw Sanders as the solution to a corrupt and doomed political system, and while he is not the chosen Democratic Candidate, the ideas behind Bernie or Bust revealed an important quality about Millennial voters. According to a Harvard IOP poll, one in four millennials said ethics, trust, integrity and honesty are the most important qualities in a person running for office. We value transparency and open-conversation about the issues that matter to us. We should draw upon those qualities of our generation that unify us, instead of the differences that seek to divide us, and deter us from being involved in political discussions.
Millennials are less likely to identify as Republicans or Democrats, but rather avoid political labels as a whole. So why bother to vote for a candidate you don’t think matters? Because voting is the first step in assuring that you make yourself heard.
As you’ve heard many times before, be sure to go out and vote on Election day and submit your absentee ballot. After this election cycle ends, stop talking about the change you want to see and take action.
Run for office, vote, initiate productive conversation. Be the one that doesn't just advocate for change, but actually acts on it.
