Envision’s Chase the Race 2016 program is now in full swing, offering a free, interactive curriculum with which educators can bring the dynamics and excitement of the campaign into their classrooms. But, as we enjoy the video from our first live streaming event at the Iowa Caucus, and focus on these critical early election results, let’s not forget the simplest, most elemental component at the very heart of every election: the right to vote. There would, after all, be no election if there were no voters.
Our Future. Our Voice. Our Vote.
A quote from the Student PIRGS website reads:
“What’s in store for our future? Will we be able to get jobs, and pay off our bills and our student loans? Will the big issues of our day, like protecting our environment, student debt, or big money in politics, get dealt with – or will they keep getting kicked down the road, only to get bigger and harder to solve? One thing is for sure, we know a better future isn’t going to happen if we just sit around waiting for it… If we’re going to be heard, we all need to work together, raise our voices together and vote together.”
Given Envision’s mission to help every student secure a meaningful and rewarding future, we are passionate about motivating young people to register to vote. Our recent look into the political pulse of today’s teens shows that, as Student PIRGS suggests, young people care deeply about issues such as the economy, our environment, and education – especially the rocketing costs of tuition. Above all, today’s youth wants their voice to be heard, and to be taken seriously. Voting is one of the most basic ways in which Americans can make their voices matter.
The Powerful Youth Vote
Many teens who are currently not old enough to vote, will, in fact, be 18 by Election Day 2016. For those who feel helpless, believing they are powerless to make any real difference in the world, consider these important stats from Rock the Vote:
- More than 84 million millennials will be over 18 in 2016
- The millennial generation is the largest in our country's history
- Millennials have the potential to be the largest voting bloc in our country but are voting at a fraction of their size, with an estimated 30 million young people staying home in 2012
Civic Youth.org brings us more key facts:
- 46 million people ages 18-29 years old are eligible to vote, compared to 39 million seniors
- Young people (18-29) make up 21% of the voting eligible population in the U.S.
- Young people’s participation can influence election results
In other words, young people are a major subset of the electorate and their voices do matter.
Why You Should Vote
Why vote? #1: because you can. It’s your right – a right that many people around the world don’t have. In some countries, people have literally died fighting for that right, just like our American forefathers did.
Other top reasons to vote:
- Democracy won’t work if we don’t vote
- The issues are relevant to you – the decisions politicians make today will affect your future. When you vote, you help assure yourself of the future you desire.
- Politicians chase votes, and cater to the groups most likely to vote for them. If the youth voting turn-out remains low, your issues might be ignored.
- Recent history has shown that elections can be decided by a handful of votes. Don’t leave the results to chance!
Want more? Check out articles such as:
Top 5 Reasons Youth Should Vote
Or
10 Reasons Why College Students Should Vote
Ways to Register and To Get Involved
If you’re already 18 or older, or will be 18 by November 8, register to vote today! The USA.gov website has a Register to Vote page that will help make it easy.
Twenty three states offer online registration, which has proven to be an effective way of increasing voter percentages, especially with younger citizens. California’s one-month experiment with online voter registration prior to the 2012 election showed that it was undoubtedly the state’s most popular voter registration option. Residents under age 25 accounted for 30% of all online registrants, helping to drive an 8% increase in voter registration in that age bracket. Also, voters who registered online turned out at a higher rate than those who registered through other methods.
Rock the Vote – the largest nonprofit and nonpartisan youth vote organization in the United States – is is also a good online destination for students. Fusing pop culture, politics and technology, Rock the Vote works to mobilize the millennial voting bloc, protect voting rights, and advocate for an electoral process and voting system that works for the 21st century. For almost 25 years, Rock the Vote has pioneered ways to make voting easier by demystifying voter registration and elections for young adults.
The Rock the Vote website also provides ways to get involved, including attending a voter registration event, spreading the word through social media, or bringing a “Democracy class” to your school.
Other pertinent and helpful sites include:
VoteSmart.org – providing free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials.
Register to Vote.org – simplifying the voter registration process, making it faster and easier for you to get involved and become an active voice in our democracy.
If you’re an educator, help your students become informed and excited about their role in the democratic process. If you’re a student, now is the perfect time to explore the issues of the 2016 election and get involved!
background-image: a building with the American flag in front of it