After months of campaigning, it’s hard to believe that there’s only a little more than one month until the 2016 presidential election is behind us. This cycle has seen students across the country become some of the most outspoken participants in the American political process, but making phone calls and attending rallies is one thing — the most important part is to actually get out and vote.
Millennials have heard all about how they don’t vote before, and they’re going to hear it all again, because it’s true. Most recently, less than 20 percent of eligible voters under the age of 30 voted in the 2014 midterms, the lowest turnout of this age group ever in a federal election. Presidential elections usually garner more excitement, but that’s still not saying much. A study by Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement on the 2012 election showed that only about 41 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 24 voted. You don’t have to be a math major to understand there’s work to be done.
An infinite number of college newspaper editorials have been written encouraging students to get out and vote, and they all make the same points sooner or later: young people need to vote so that politicians respect their needs, so that they can complain legitimately about the outcome, so that they can get free stickers and pins.
But, 2016 being 2016, these reasons feel equipped with much more urgency this time around. The American people are looking at the two most unpopular presidential candidates since polls on the subject began. Being the youngest generation, millennials collectively are also going to have to deal with the election’s outcome for decades to come. It feels as if the stakes have never been higher, at least not since millennials came of voting age, and simply put, there’s no more important time than right now to make your thoughts heard.
While young people may be passionate about politics, they might not be able to vote because they’ve never actually registered. A 2012 study by Demos claimed that 41 percent of young people in the country weren’t registered to vote in 2008 despite being totally eligible. Of course, it’s not just the youth who are missing out — the same study showed that roughly one in four eligible voters aren’t registered. 25 percent of the country is unable to effect change in its leadership because they haven’t filed the paperwork.
If you’re not registered, that means you need to become registered today. In New York state, the cutoff to become a voter (regardless of how you register) is Friday, Oct. 14, meaning there’s only a little more than a week left. After that, you can still register, but you won’t be making a difference in 2016.
Regardless of your personal politics, ideological allegiances or preferred candidate, all the passion in world doesn’t matter if on Nov. 8 people don’t get out and vote. Take care of the registration now, and you might be able to save yourself from some headaches during the next four years.