Youth’s View on Voting

Youth’s Opinions on Voting

The right to vote in the U.S. is one of the best rights in the history of the country. A vote gives us the right to choose our leaders, representatives, our voices. The 26th amendment of the U.S. Constitution grants the right to vote to everybody over the age of 18. Even though this is the case, youth voter turnout has been and still continues to be incredibly low.

In the 2020 election, 55% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 participated in the election, this was the highest youth voter turnout since 1972. This was remarkable but we seem to be going backward again after 2020. Only 27% of youth participated in the 2022 midterm elections. Why does this seem to be the case?

Wanting to see for myself, I decided to conduct a couple of interviews with my friends, who are all under the legal voting age, to see their opinions on voting. They seemed to have mixed feelings about the situation. Some were unsure while others said they either would or wouldn’t.

One of the people surveyed was my good friend, Emiliano Padilla, a 16-year-old from Chicago, “What’s the importance of voting?” He responded, “Voting is important because I think we all play a big role in the decision-making of our country.” I then followed up with, “Are you going to vote? If so why or why not?” He replied, “I will vote because I want to make sure that my community is represented and I use my voice in a positive way.”

Youth Don’t Feel Heard

This is great. Emiliano is, like the rest of us, the future of this country. He understands and believes that voting is important. Others aren’t so convinced that this civic engaging activity is necessary or fair.

Next to be questioned was Daniel Murillo, a 17-year-old from Westside Chicago. He was asked the same two questions that I asked Padilla. However, I got completely different answers.

“I don’t think voting is important. These politicians hear us but they don’t listen to us. Why vote if millions of other people are voting? Mine doesn’t matter,” said Murillo.

I will not be voting because like I said earlier millions vote. Also, why should I waste my time?

This is what many other teens, like Murillo, believe. In order to secure the future of the nation future voters need to see their opinions count.

Many steps have to be taken in order to increase youth voter turnout because our voices matter, our voices must be heard. This stigma around voting must end. Furthermore, adults must also stop stereotyping teens as irresponsible, dumb, etc. So, let’s look at why youth aren’t voting.

What Can Be Done To Increase Voter Turnout

There are a couple of reasons why youth aren’t participating in elections. One is not enough politics or U.S. government classes being offered. In the year 2020 when Joe Biden faced off against Donald Trump, 31% of teens between the ages of 14 and 17 said they were interested in learning about the election. Clearly, schools need to take initiative and offer more courses that educate the youth about elections, politics, and the government. These courses are useful for the rest of our lives.

Another reason is the lack of information for new voters. Between the ages of 18 and 21, 22% said the reason they didn’t vote in 2020 was that they didn’t know how to register. This is a problem that needs to be fixed. Registering the youth to vote is the first step towards a greater turnout.

One major contributor is that 46% of the youth between the ages of 18-29 were not recognized or contacted by major political parties in the 2020 election. This is a huge mistake and contributes to the reason the youth don’t feel encouraged to go out and vote. The youth are the future and we have the power to change election results.

Written by Gabriel Salgado

Circle: Major Report: How to Drastically Increase Youth Voter Participation and Reduce Inequities in Turnout

Statista: Youth voter turnout in presidential elections in the United States from 1972 to 2020

Circle: 2022 Election: Young Voters Have High Midterm Turnout, Influence Critical Races

Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Gabriel Salgado

Inset Image Courtesy of hjl Flickr Page – Creative Commons License