Youth Voting Awareness
Samaira Bhat
Why do more and more activists in today’s society advocate for youth to partake in voting? At the same, we see a tremendous amount of organizations, including New Voters, that promote youth civic engagement and youth political involvement. The question is, why? One answer is that the more youth who become aware of the impacts their vote can have in their communities, the more likely that positive change will occur nationwide.
Young voters bring a fresh perspective to ongoing global issues: climate change, civil and political rights, etc. Because of their political opinions, they play a crucial role during election season. Nevertheless, youth first have to be informed about the importance of the voting process. The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University found that youth who have been encouraged to vote or taught how to register in high school are more likely to vote and participate in other civic activities. Additionally, they were more aware of voting processes and attentive to the 2020 election than other youth (Andes 2020). CIRCLE continues to report that youth who receive little to no knowledge about voting are more than twice as likely to agree with the statement “Voting is a waste of time” compared to those who had been encouraged to vote (Andes 2020). Without prior knowledge of the ins and outs of voting, civic interests are less likely to develop.
Fortunately, youth voter turnout has increased in recent years. TUFTS NOW reports that 27% of youth cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm elections, marking the second-highest youth voter turnout in almost three decades (Kiesa and Medina 2022). Today, more youth are showing up to vote, and there is still an impetus for growth in the coming years. As more youth are being educated about global issues, such as climate change, more youth are connecting current events to politics. If young people want to bring change to issues they advocate for, voting and participating in political decisions will help amplify their goals. Furthermore, participating in civic engagement not only allows young people to be aware of how to vote, but also allows them to contribute to the well-being of their communities (Nonprofit Vote 2021).
Since youth voters account for half of the voting population (“9 reasons” 2022), their voice undoubtedly matters in politics. Encouraging young people to engage with civic action will also allow them to influence issues affecting their lives in the following years, from college tuition reform and federal job programs. Youth political participation can positively impact current generations and generations to come. As more youth are becoming aware of the endless benefits their vote can have, they are helping construct a future to look forward to.