Can We Get Young Voters To The Polls?
Young voters have the potential to shape the future of our nation, yet the majority of them are not turning out at the polls. It’s up to us to make sure we get them engaged and encourage them to exercise their right to vote. In this blog post, we will discuss some strategies for inspiring young voters to go to the polls and make their voices heard.
Koenig, R. (2020) Young People Care About Elections, They Just Don’t Always Show Up to Vote. Here’s How Education Can Help
The importance of voting
Why is voting important? “My vote doesn’t matter anyway.” “How is my one vote going to change anything?” These are common phrases heard from all ages of voters. When young voters hear family members or other people they know say this, it may turn them off from voting. It is important for future voters to understand that not voting IS voting (Liu, 2016). Gen Z and Millenials are the future of this nation which means it is crucial that they are active in their community and politics. As Eric Liu explains in his TED Talk to the right, not voting is voting for everything you stand against and “handing power over to those whose interests counter your own”.
US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, November Supplement, 2000 to 2020
Looking at the graph above the U.S. Census Bureau you can see that more people were registered to vote, but less people actually made the effort of casting their ballot. You can also see the most people voted and registered in 2020 while we were all going through the pandemic. While it is still a good thing that so many people are registered to vote, the follow through of either physically going to the polls or mailing in a ballot is what is important. Some High Schools do an excellent job of making sure the students are registered to vote but it can be difficult to ensure that they actually go to their designated voting place.
Why young people don’t vote
Young people are actually interested in their government and care about who gets elected into office. But then why are they not voting? According to a new book by Batten’s John Holbein and Duke University’s Sunshine Hillygus, “Making Young Voters: Converting Civic Attitudes into Civic Action”, rather, young people care about politics and intend to vote, but too often fail to follow through on those intentions because of personal and institutional distractions and barriers.That’s because the act of voting can take considerable time, effort and planning. There are the institutional hurdles – such as voter registration, and acquiring the accepted voter identification, which can vary by state (Tor, 2020). These barriers and setbacks may not sound like much to an adult who has voter experience, but to a new voter the process might feel overwhelming.
The issue is not getting the young voters to register, the issue is having the intention of going to vote. The other problem is to get them to vote in not just the presidential elections, but also for their state governors, mayors, and other representatives. With all these expectations it is understandable why voting is so overwhelming for a first time voter. Also, it is hard and disheartening as a new voter not knowing any of the names on your ballot. Most people are influenced by their families beliefs and religious values and decide from there if they want to vote Republican or Democrat. Even with these influences it is impossible to completely understand all the information on your ballot (Kennedy, 2020). It is important that new voters are shown how to understand their state and presidential ballot. However, they can only understand their ballots if they are shown and taught, this is where my solution comes in.
What can be done to encourage voting?
With the nation divided as much as it is, a solution to create educated voters is critical. I propose that schools start implementing the basics of our political system sooner, then by the time students are able to vote they will be more comfortable and secure with their choice. This includes holding mock elections to teach students how voting works. (Election Officials, 2021). Students can vote what they want for lunch or if they want to pick which activity they can do in class. This shows them how a democracy works and gives them experience with voting before it actually “counts”. It is also important for schools to invite politicians to schools continuously to create a connection with not only the children but with the community. These connections make lasting impressions and have the possibility to keep students involved with politics and keep their interest in voting for a long time.
The responsibility to vote does not just fall on the voter, the officials and representatives have to contribute and make the youth want to vote for them. This means interacting with them in a way they understand. Donald Trump got most of his publicity and interactions from posting on Twitter. The Twitter feed and the TikTok for you page has become a teenagers version of a newspaper. Social Media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are the easiest ways for government officials and representatives to get in touch with voters aged 18-29. According to Gregory Micallef Associates, Instagram is the most popular news source among young people, and is now used as the main news source by 29 percent of teens, with TikTok and YouTube close behind on 28 percent (Hyde 2022). Utilizing the technology at hand will help increase voter turnout of the new generations. It also helps put a face to the name they are voting for if the person running for office has a social media account.
I strongly believe if the government implements more classes about politics that are interactive and enjoyable for students the new voter turnout will be at an all time high. A basic civics class will only put students to sleep, it has to be something that they can participate in. It would be educational for them if they went on school field trips to their town hall, watch debates and discuss with groups what they would have done differently. Starting this at a young age creates a new generation of new voters that will be more eager and better educated when they arrive at the polls.
Bibliography
Election Officials, Spotlights (2021) 27 Ideas for Encouraging Youth Participation in Elections. Available at: https://www.techandciviclife.org/youth-engagement/ (Accessed: 21 February 2023).
Eric Liu. (19 September 2016) There Is No Such Thing As Not Voting. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/eric_liu_there_s_no_such_thing_as_not_voting?language=en (Accessed: 24 February 2023)
Fabina, J. (2021) Despite Pandemic Challenges, 2020 Election Had Largest Increase in Voting Between Presidential Elections on Record. Available at: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2021/04/record-high-turnout-in-2020-general-election.html (Accessed: 21 February, 2023)
Hyde, J. (2022) Where Do Young People Get Their News From? Available at: https://www.gmal.co.uk/where-do-people-get-their-news-from/#:~:text=Although%20young%20people%20get%20most,news%20from%20social%20media!) (Accessed: 24 February 2023).
Junco, R., de Guzman, P., Lundberg, K., Kiesa, A., and Medina, A. (2021) Early Takeaways on What Worked to Reach Youth During the 2020 Election. Available at: https://circle.tufts.edu/latest-research/early-takeaways-what-worked-reach-youth-during-2020-election (Accessed: 23 February 2023).
Kennedy, J. (2020) How to decide who to vote for. Do whatever you need to plan, but don’t worry too much about it. Available at: https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/decide-who-vote-for-judge-candidate/ (Accessed 25 February 2023)
Koenig, R. (2020) Young People Care About Elections, They Just Don’t Always Show Up to Vote. Here’s How Education Can Help. Available at: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-10-13-young-people-care-about-elections-they-just-don-t-always-show-up-to-vote-here-s-how-education-can-help (Accessed: 22 February 2023).
Tor, E. (2020) Why So Many Young People Don’t Vote – And How to Change That. Available at: https://batten.virginia.edu/about/news/why-so-many-young-people-dont-vote-and-how-change (Accessed: 20 February 2023)