By now everyone knows that 2016 is an election year, and the campaigns for both the Republican and Democratic candidates are in full swing. The primary elections, which are just as important if not more important than the general election, have started. As meaningful as the 2016 election is for politicians, the election is more important for average people like you and me. As young people, it is necessary that our voices be heard. In the recent past, not many young people have voted. The truth is, politicians will not care about our beliefs until we show them that they need to work for OUR votes. Because so many young people have not voted, it is almost as if we do not matter. To have our voices be heard, the masses of young people need to vote.
I know that some people argue against voting with the claim that "My vote doesn't matter." To this statement, I must confess that I agree. Yes, your vote on its own does not matter too much. But that is not the point of an election, for one person to have more deciding power than other people. An ideology like that leans towards dictatorship. No single person, not even a candidate, has enough power to bring about real change on his or her own. Politicians need to win votes to find employment, and to accomplish anything they need their constituents' support. Voters only have power when many people contribute to the election process, and for young voters like ourselves to have influence, we all need to vote. The first step towards a proper representation of young people in the presidential election is your vote.
Voting does not even take much time, if you consider that once every few years or so the government calls on citizens to fill out a short ballot. Even though voting is so important, it is an easy task. If you have not yet registered to vote, you can register online. If you are registered in a place that is far away, you can request an absentee ballot.
In the end, I do not care who you vote for. You can vote for Trump or Bernie, or Hillary or Rubio, or any other candidate. Seriously. However, I do care that you vote, and if you do vote, that you are an educated voter. It is imperative that you read up on the candidates before you vote. Your vote should represent a knowledgeable decision, not that you prefer the sound of one name to another. Voting is by definition the way that United States citizens show the government their ideals and beliefs. To be blunt, if you do not vote, your opinion is worthless because politicians represent the voters. So go out and vote, and make politicians yield to people like you.
