CONNOR HOFFMAN
Managing Editor
Registering to vote is a such an easy thing to do, and there should be no excuse as to why you didn’t register. Voting is one of the most sacred duties in America, and please, for the love of God, take a few minutes out of your day to register to vote. Don’t listen to your friends that tell you that your voice doesn’t matter because, trust me, the youth vote matters.
The deadline to register to vote in New York state is Oct. 14, and there are several ways that people can chose to register to vote in New York.
One way to register is to use https://dmv.ny.gov/mydmv/mydmv to create an account using their New York driver’s license, permit or non-driver ID. Then, they can sign in and complete the voter registration form online.
Another way to register to vote is to download and print the voter registration form. Then, they must fill the form out, and it must be postmarked by Oct.14 and received by Oct. 19. Also, people can go to their local county board of elections office to receive a registration form.
Many 18 to 34 year olds believe that their vote or voice doesn’t matter, but that’s simply not true. The Millennial voting bloc has overtaken the Baby Boomers voting bloc, which consists of Americans between 52 and 70 years old, as the largest voting bloc in the country, according to the Pew Research Center. The Millennial voting bloc may now outnumber the Baby Boomer voting bloc, but the Baby Boomer voting bloc has more people registered to vote and more politically active people.
In the 2014 election, 42.2 percent of 18 to 24 year olds reportedly registered, and 56.4 percent of those that were 25 to 34 years old registered. Of those 18 to 24 years old registered, only 17.1 percent voted, and of those aged 25 to 34 years, only 27.6 percent voted.
Look at how much stronger the turnout was for those 65 years and older in the 2014 election. The turnout of voters between 65 to 74 years old was 61.2 percent, and the turnout of voters 75 years and older was 56.9 percent.
Now, consider the fact that some of the most prominent issues focused on during the last few elections were Social Security and Medicare, two issues that seriously affect this voting demographic. Millennials are always complaining about the fact that they feel their voice isn’t heard or that the system is rigged, but they haven’t even begin to exert their tremendous electoral power.
If the Millennial voting bloc would turnout in this election and future elections, they could finally force the politicians to tackle issues that affect them, like college affordability, student loans, their role in the economy and many other issues. The Millennial Generation must decide that it is their time to step up and reform our government. So please, register to vote. It won’t take up much of your time.