by Sarah Fixmer
Only 46.1% of eligible voters between the ages 18 to 29 voted in 2016 – the lowest of any age group, according to the Census Bureau.
Young voters in the U. S.hold the power to sway elections, but have the lowest turnout rates. With social media spread and key issues affecting youth at stake, 2020 may be the year of the young voter.
Young voters continually have the lowest numbers in every election, according to the New York Times. Reasons young people don’t vote include:
- Opportunity cost
- Alternative participation
- Habit formation
Young voters may not have the time or money to take off work to vote, so the opportunity cost isn’t worth it. The time to learn about different candidates and the voting process is another obstacle.
Many young people don’t see voting as an effective way to make a change. Instead, they opt for other action such as protests and movements and political engagement on social media, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Elector Assistance.
Participating in the voting process is a habit formed over time, and people slowly transform from non-voters to voters over time, Eric Plutzer, a Penn State political scientist, said in a New York Times article.
Organizations to help encourage young voters are popping up everywhere. These include:
- Alliance for Youth Action
- Leader’s Igniting Transformation
- Campus Vote Project
- When We All Vote
When We All Vote, founded in 2018 by Michelle Obama, Tom Hanks, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monae, Chris Paul, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, aims to increase overall voter participation with influential celebrity voices.
“Young people are a very powerful bloc of voters and they could really change the course of this country if they all voted,” said Stephanie Young, When We All Vote’s chief officer for communications, in an interview with NPR.
Other influences such as TikTok and other social media platforms have created a surge of young, Gen-Z voters. These platforms create a readily available space for voting information that spreads quickly.
These spaces have proven to be very influential, and according to a study conducted by the Harvard Public Opinion Project, 63% of 18 to 29-year-olds said they will vote in the 2020 election – up from 47% in 2016.
Katie Besse, a student at Metropolitan Community College – Elkhorn Valley campus, said young voters can make a huge difference in the 2020 election with a large turnout.
“The youth vote is often dismissed as misinformed and insignificant,” Besse said. “We are the future of America and our vote will not be silenced by stereotypes and stigma.”
