2016 is the year of big decisions. The national elections for the next president are coming up in about a couple of months and everyone has been hearing the different viewpoints of all their Facebook friends and family. They range from one extreme end of the spectrum to the other. While it is completely okay to express your opinions and present what you feel is best for your country, the one important thing you need to remember that you need go and turn your thoughts into a vote this November.
One particular reason that it's important cast your ballot is that it effects your future both directly and indirectly. Being stubborn and not voting because your first choice is no longer running is just wasted potential to move the country in a better direction for all. According to the Campus Vote Project, an organization that offers resources to help inform voters and provide information on where to sign up to register, 21% of eligible voters were made up of students ages 18-24 for the 2014 election. However of those eligible voters, only 17% of the 18 to 24-year-olds cast a ballot in the 2014 election.
The Campus Vote Project also stated that 42% of those students were registered to vote in the 2014 election, the lowest amount in 40 years. So what is all this telling you as a young voter then? The point that I'm trying to get across here is that the change starts with you. Instead of sharing a political video and adding a 5-page essay with why you think this country is going to shit or if you think the video is the best thing that has happened to this Earth, go out and vote.
If you're a college student like myself, your college will most likely make it super simple for you to get registered. Here at Oshkosh we only need to bring our driver's license and its expiration date! They are even coming to the residence halls to make it even easier for the process. If you are not from the state that you want to vote in then all you have to do is talk to your college or head over to the Campus Vote Project's website to find out how to get you registered.
Election day is steadily approaching and you still have time to get informed about your voting choices. So what will it be? Will you join the movement to get the younger generation of voters more involved in the elections?
