Your vote matters

editorial cartoon by Jacob Bogdanoff
editorial cartoon by Jacob Bogdanoff

A recent Huffington Post survey found that voters over the age of 45 believe everyone should vote, while people under 30 felt only well-informed voters should be able to cast a ballot.

According to a U.S. Census Bureau report, for the 2012 presidential elections, only 49.4 percent of people ages 18-24 reported that they were registered to vote, while only 38 percent of them actually voted.

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, 12.2 percent of Americans between 18 to 24 enrolled in college were not interested in casting a ballot while 19.4 percent of students in the same age demographic not enrolled in college were uninterested.

This apathetic mindset among young voters is self-defeating. Each individual vote does matter, and participation in the primary and general elections is important.

The excuse that they are not “well-informed” enough is unjustifiable. There are numerous resources young voters may take advantage of in order to stay educated and up-to-date on the vital presidential election. With the Internet being the strongest resource for information and being available at our fingertips, it is indefensible to stay ill-informed.

The presidential election is important, and each vote is crucial in order to make changes this generation would like to see. How else will we shape the well-being of this generation’s future if nearly 80 percent of voters are over the age of 45?

The U.S. Census calculated that millennials now number 83.1 million and represent more than a quarter of the nation’s population — for the first time ever, as the largest generation in the country, millennials are equal in voting power to Baby Boomers. They alone will account for 36 percent of eligible voters in the upcoming presidential election.

Young voters should invest more interest in the upcoming election because candidates are interested in appealing to the biggest voter pool. If those of us between the ages of 18 to 24 do not vote, our issues will most likely be pushed aside. We should not feel entitled to complain if we do not all contribute to bettering the country by taking part in our democracy. Californians can register to vote at registertovote.ca.gov.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

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