Voting is the key to change. Getting to the polls may seem like a chore for some. However, it is a great privilege to have the power to decide the future.
Former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.”
Each vote is incredibly important and should be taken advantage of.
All of those who vote influence future laws. If today’s youth becomes a force in voting, our elected representatives will take an interest in our values and opinions.
Unfortunately, because of turnouts from the younger population, politicians tend to focus on active, older constituents because ultimately that is how they keep their jobs.
Young voters can make a difference in tomorrow’s general election. The louder our collective voice is the more politicians care.
Statistics show that only 48.5 percent of eligible voters ages 18-29 voted leaving more than 15 million nonparticipants. In total there are about 44 million eligible voters which means that those 15 million could have made the difference of who ran our government.
Research allows politicians to know what age groups to target in order to win an election and allows issues affecting young people in the community to be addressed such as funding education and job opportunities.
Although the youth vote is traditionally low, a single young voter can influence friends and family by simply taking an interest in the election and talking about their views. Getting excited about one’s voting power can be contagious.
On the California ballot are two controversial propositions on very crucial issues, especially locally.
The three strikes law (Proposition 36), temporary taxes to fund education (Propositions 30 and 38), and auto insurance rates based on driver’s history of insurance coverage (Proposition 33) are all initiatives that directly impact young Californians.
Education in general should always be one of the top priorities in our society because without it we would have no future.
Those who don’t take an active role in how laws get passed by voting have no right to complain about them. “The youth of America make up 24 percent of the voting population,” according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
That means more than 12 percent of the voting population is not exercising their right to vote. This difference is substantial enough to turn almost any election completely around.
Instead of sitting on the couch watching television and putting your future in the hands of others, stand up for your future and vote.
