By Jack Hoover
University of Nebraska at Omaha sophomore Nathan Hack said the main reason he voted in this midterm election was to exercise his right to vote for the first time.
Hack, who is an Iowa resident, turned in an absentee ballot last week.
“I honestly expected to feel a little more exhilarated,” Hack said. “I just marked all the votes down and tossed it in the mailbox, but it still felt like a milestone that I’ve reached.”
UNO sophomore and Nebraska resident Mitch Medlin said his reason tovote is to express his opinion.
“My ginormous ego needs to be heard,” Medlin said. “But seriously, I’m excited to exercise my democratic right. But atthe same time, I know my vote doesn’t mean much in this state because it will definitely go Republican.”
While Medlin is excited to vote, he said many younger people feel a senseof apathy about voting. Millennials, many of whom are first-time voters, vote at lower percentages than older generations, such as Baby Boomers, according to the Pew Research Group.
In the 2014 midterm election, Baby Boomers outvoted Millennials and members of Generation X by 21 million votes,despite the fact that younger generations accountfor more than half of all eligible voters.
“Young people just need to see the effects of the candidate they’re voting for,” Medlin said. “Young people haven’t lived long enough to see things like property taxes or Social Security. Show them the actual results and they might be interested in doing something about it.”
First-time voters must also be informed about the issues. Some, like Medlin, claim to be informed on candidates. Others vote out of a sense of civic duty, regardless of whether they understand the issues.
“I just circled the boxes for the people I had heard a little bit about as long as they were similar to my political views,” Hack said.
Overall, the votes of first-time voters are important for shaping America’s political landscape.
“The act of voting, even though it seemed like nothing, played an impact,” Hack said. “My vote means something simply because it’s there.”
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