I cannot count the number of voter registration drives I have seen over my college campus the last few weeks. I also cannot count the number of students who I've talked to that are not registered to vote, or are registered but don't think they "have the time" to vote.

During fall break I went back to my home state (NC) for a few days, where early voting had just started. Before I came back to school, I made sure to pick up one of my friends and head over to the nearest polling site. Fortunately, the line was not too long and it took only five minutes before reaching the sign-in desk.

Though, somehow, within those five minutes, I managed to be offered an armful's worth of pamphlets and brochures.

When I reached the check-in table, the woman's face lit up with excitement and surprise. She was so glad that I had come out to vote because "it's important that young people vote because they're determining their future." I couldn't agree more.

My friend had never voted before and was greeted with an equally warm welcome and a handshake when explaining it was her first time voting.

This was my second time voting — I voted in the primaries earlier this year. Something most of my friends and peers are unaware of is that if you are registered, you can vote in the primaries if you will be of voting age at the time of the general election (in certain states, including SC).

While I left the building with an "I Voted Early" sticker proudly displayed on my sweatshirt, I couldn't help but be concerned by the clear surprise that two young voters actually took the time to vote.

Voter turnout for young people has consistently been lower than any age group. This is a sad truth that has been ingrained by the media and within the classroom. I realized that I had come to accept it's "just the way it is," which is unfortunate because many others my age have done the same.

It seems that it's not that young voters are apathetic toward politics, it's that they voice their views through social media outlets such as Twitter, and their political activism ends there. During the 2016 presidential election, based on Twitter alone, it seemed there was no way Trump would win. Then he did. Young voter turnout was still exceptionally lower than each age group.

In a turbulent world it can be easy to accept things the way they are and be passive; however, as a young voter to young voters, please take a role in your future and show up to the polls.