Why you should vote

Everyone is telling you to vote this November, but what’s one more vote and why is it important?

By Monserrat Solis, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Megan Jackson, News Editor

Voting has never been more critical than it is now with the upcoming midterm elections leading politicians, celebrities and social media platforms imploring this idea towards young voters.

As the Senate continues to bleed red, Democrats and other parties hope to turn that around; with the help of young voters, this can happen. However, it will only become reality if millennials go to the polls and vote. Every issue on the ballot and every seat in the Senate impacts various groups of people worldwide; their fate is in your hands.

An NBC News/GenForward survey released in August found that just 55 percent of millennials say they either probably or definitely will vote in November. A quarter says they are not sure if the will go to the polls or not, and 19 percent say they probably or definitely will not vote.

In a poll from the Public Religion Research Institute and the Atlantic, 28 percent of young adults ages 18 to 29 stated they are “absolutely certain” they will vote in the 2018 election compared to 74 percent of seniors.

The Pew Research Center explains Millennials, adult ages 20 to 35, makeup roughly 31 percent of the overall electorate. They also stated that Millennials are expected to surpass Baby Boomers, adults aged 52 to 70, as the largest living generation next year. But Millennials continue to hold low voter turnouts.

Weeks leading up to election day, Nov. 6, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram have bombarded users with ads of celebrities preaching to their young audiences to go out and vote. This is a great strategy because these platforms access millions of people, primarily young users, who are old enough to vote yet have not been popular at the polls. Some of the ones who do show up to protest still lack in the polls. With celebrities advocating for voting rights, there might be an increase in young voters but this can only happen if they show up on election day.

Former FLOTUS Michelle Obama formed a non-profit group called ‘When We All Vote’ to encourage and inspire eligible voters. The campaign video featured celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tom Hanks, Faith Hill and more.

“When we all vote, we determine our future,” said Obama in the video.

Other celebrities such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Katy Perry and the cast of The Avengers have publicized their ideals on voting and the importance young people hold when they vote.

“Voting is a lot easier and a lot less sweaty then marching,” said Liza Koshy, a social media influencer and actress, while on a road trip with Alicia Keys and America Ferrera to inspire voters.

Millennials have the numbers and the passion to make a substantial change in the future of the United States. This election is vital for our fundamental rights and whether you vote or not determines this. The results set the foundation for the next year and can change or reverse the outcomes of past and purposed laws.