Trevor Ponsen | Writer
February 1, 2024
As the US presidential election stands less than a year away, candidates and voters prepare the decision to help define America for the next 4 years. A major part of each election is seeing how new young voters with different political ideologies and a young perspective will affect the election. Despite many current high school seniors and even juniors being eligible to vote in this upcoming election, it is predicted that our age group see the lowest voter turnout.
Only 38% of people aged 18-29 voted in the 2016 election with the highest turnout in US history being the 2020 election which saw 50% of people in that age group vote. The lack of turnout stems from the fact that young people are typically unengaged in politics and believe that their single vote won’t make a difference in an election with millions of other people and an outcome that seems to be predetermined.
Despite this widespread belief, young people are a key aspect in determining the next presidential candidate as they make up 21% of the eligible voting population but less than half ever participate in any election. That’s nearly 10% of the total US population vote not being utilized. Senior Lea Davis, a registered voter said, “It’s an important part of American rights and every vote makes a difference.”
Not only is it important for the outcome of the presidential candidate, but all Americans need to exercise their democratic rights. The right to vote and have your voice heard in government is a privilege that many in the world go without and something that many have struggled to receive. It’s one of the founding principles of our nation and one that we had to fight for. To not vote is to be content with not having a vote at all.
High schoolers can get involved with politics early and make sure they are exercising their democratic rights by registering to vote. In California, you can pre-register at 16 and be guaranteed to be able to vote in either a primary or a midterm election once you turn 18. Our high school promotes this by sending out packets yearly that can register us to vote but if you miss out on that opportunity, you can go to https://covr.sos.ca.gov/ and register online. Most seniors don’t realize they’re able to vote in the upcoming election and the impact that can have on its outcome.
“I didn’t even realize that I could vote and that I need to register,” explained senior Nicole Rod. It’s important for young adults such as ourselves to exercise their right to vote and get involved in politics to help shape the world they want to live in.
Good luck 🙂