8 million new voters are aging into the electorate in 2024, yet it is predicted that the number of young voters will go down in comparison to the 2020 election. In the fall of 2020, a historic number of young adults, a demographic with a typically low voting turnout, headed to the polls. According to recent surveys, this upward trend in young voters is unlikely to continue.
Recent polling done by the University of California shows that while both young liberals and conservatives want government action to address challenges, there is a shared belief that the current government system is dysfunctional in a way that would prevent it from adequately addressing these challenges.
This can create a scene of hopelessness across the board, causing young people to question whether their voting matters in the slightest. Most young people are disillusioned with an understanding of fatalism, and continued distrust in politicians to adequately address issues that are of utmost importance; issues that impact our future.
Instead of allowing our dissatisfaction with the current governmental system to lead to apathy, what would it look like to turn it into action to create change in that system? We vote in simple terms to make our voices heard. Not because of our faith in politicians or trust in unrealistic promises but because of our belief in the ideals that democracy is based on. Voting allows us to participate in our government.
Young voters are disconnecting themselves from the traditional Democrat and Republican parties and finding solace in people who they share values with outside of the traditional system. This apparent shift away from traditional partisan in younger generations could lead to increased unity and evidence of the fact that young people are becoming increasingly open-minded on both sides of the spectrum with willingness to think outside of the box previous generations lay before us.
We have a responsibility to our own future to embrace our role as active participants in government. We must vote, to create a system we can begin to believe in once again. It has never been more accessible for students to vote when they are away at college whether they are in their home state or not.
Here are a few reminders as you prepare to cast your vote:
Voting is always tied to where you live, yet as a college student in most cases, you have the opportunity to vote in your home state even though you may not live there most of the year. College students in Massachusetts from out of state also have the option to register to vote in Massachusetts but you may not be registered to vote in more than one state at a time.
There are 3 main ways to register to vote:
1) Online, voter registration is available in most states and is the simplest and most accessible way to register to vote. Visit vote.gov and enter your state to register online, with no need to mail paperwork.
2) mall, voter registration is available by mall with a national registration form that is used by four states.
3) In-person voter registration can be done at local election offices or motor vehicle commissions. It is important to keep registration deadlines in mind, although they vary, some states require voters to be registered at least 30 days before an election. For more information, visit https://www.vote.org/voter-registration-deadlines/
Sources:
registration_information.pdf
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