As the first gales of autumn come sweeping over our nation, they bring yet another more ferocious movement with it. Voter registration is a tide that should not and cannot be quelled, not when the fate of our country relies so heavily upon it as the midterm elections approach. Regardless of one's political biases or viewpoints, the right to vote has become less the privilege our ancestors have fought so tirelessly to acquire, less a civic duty to remain an upstanding citizen, and more a tedious chore for the population to cross off their list. Our once sorely-won right has been taken for granted.

However, a new dawn has approached, and it is full of the new generation. They are full of youth, of wisdom, of intelligence. They have seen triumph and they have seen bloodshed. They have been raised to believe in justice and fight in its name, despite the injustices they have so frequently faced. And they have power, more tangible and moving than that it has witnessed. Bolstered by social media and its intricate and efficient network of information exchange, there have been few events--if any--that have gone unnoticed by this new generation.

This is the generation of change, and they understand what it means to vote. I reached out to students around the nation to gauge their opinions and stances on the matter, and their responses are as follows.

Dominic Lipari, a freshman at Berklee College of Music, acknowledges the hallowed history behind our everyday right, as well as what it means to others around the world. "Not only did many people fight and often die to give us the privilege [to vote]," he says, "but people still flee native lands for more democratic rights. We can't take it for granted."

For some, the right to vote has been a generational mandate. For example, Tatiana Tift, a freshman at the School of Visual Arts says that she can't take it for granted. "My parents keep reminding me how long it took for our ancestors to get the right to vote."

Our country was built by those seeking relief from persecution and freedom from tyranny. To this day, hard-working individuals with passion, fire, and determination move to the United States in order to realize the dreams for themselves and their families. To them, our nation is one of liberty, opportunity, and justice for all. When those maxims are placed in potential jeopardy, either by international crisis or domestic threats to democracy, it becomes each of our duties to uphold the true power our forefathers gave us: the power to vote. Whether our family trees are derived from those seeking opportunity after chaos struck their home nations, those fleeing religious persecution among the new colonies, or those who were here centuries before anyone else, the right to vote joins us all under the moral responsibility to maintain our nation.

When asked about why she believes voting to be important, Maddy Burke, a freshman at Butler University, said she believes it to be the only way to create change. She believes voting to be the key in "[getting] people who actually care about the well-being of the country into office and the corrupt ones out."

As stated in the Declaration of Independence, the power to create and promote change is "[our] right" and that "it is [our] duty" to see that change through. Thomas Daugherty, a freshman at the University of Kentucky, strongly supports this idea. "Voting allows for the 'government by the people' to be the 'government for the people.' It's as simple as that...it is essential that the voices of lawful citizens are heard."

Many hold the belief that their vote does not matter in the grand scheme of elections. With institutions in place such as the electoral college, how could one voice sway a nation? This belief is not unfounded by any means. However, this belief must be proven wrong. Our nation is made up of approximately 325 million people across 50 states and numerous territories. That means there are approximately 325 million voices to be heard, voices that matter. The government officials assigned to represent their regions or states must reflect the wishes of said regions or states. In order to achieve that, those 325 million people need to vote.

But how?

As Steph Petrov, a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign puts it, "Voting in the midterm elections is just as important as the presidential elections." While the presidential elections determine who will lead our nation on the world stage, the midterm elections determine who will represent the people on the national stage. Furthermore, the officials elected during the midterm elections can sway policies and decisions settled within the legislature, providing intricacy and complexity to the checks and balances system established within the United States government.

According to "Time" magazine, voter turnout during midterm elections balks in comparison to that of presidential elections. Had this been just any midterm election decided by just any generation, those beliefs may still remain present. However, on National Voter Registration Day, more than 800,000 new voters were registered, more than double the organization's expectations.

Bolstered by such activists like the young adults of March For Our Lives and former presidents like Barack Obama, people of America have realized their civic duty and moral obligation to uphold the just foundations so commonly preached by those in power. But now, these beliefs will no longer be preached. They will be enacted, by people both young and old.

According to the official Twitter for National Voter Registration Day, 2018 voters will determine 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, 35 seats in the United States Senate, and 39 state and territorial governorships, among numerous other local and state elections.

This midterm election is one of significance, and it will be decided by the generation of youth, of newly-registered voters, of those who may not be eligible to hold the power but those who have the ability to sway it. Regardless of political exposure or bias, this generation stretches from sea to shining sea and their voices will resonate louder and stronger than the shot heard around the world.