Everyone is tired of social media, websites and organizations telling them they need to register to vote. While it’s very annoying, the message is on target. Everyone should vote.
There are several reasons college students choose not to vote. Many students feel like their vote doesn’t matter, others find the process of absentee voting too tedious, and some simply don’t know enough about the candidates to make a decision.
According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, there are almost 17 million students enrolled in undergraduate programs. Traditionally, college students vote at a lower percentage than the national average, meaning that if every college student voted it would dramatically change the voter turnout. Simply, college student’s votes do matter.
If you would like to vote, there are three steps you can take. First, if you are not registered to vote, you can register online at votetexas.gov/register/index.html.
If your permanent address isn’t in Taylor County, you can see where y0u’re registered and learn how to absentee vote at vrapp.sos.state.tx.us/index.asp. If your permanent address is in Taylor County, you can find your local polling place to vote in person at teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do.
If you feel uninformed about the candidates, OnTheIssues.org is a non-partisan resource in which you can see each candidate’s views by topic or by candidate. Britannica ProCon has a side-by-side comparison of candidates on key issues. You can click on the candidate’s position on an issue and find Britannica’s sources and quotes to make sure they are accurate.
Whoever you pick to vote for, it is clear that this presidential election will change politics in America greatly, which is why it is more important than ever that young people get out and vote.
According to the Institute of Democracy and Higher Education, student voter turnout increased three points between the 2012 and 2016 elections, and we can increase that even more. America needs to hear the voices of everyone, not just our parents and grandparents.
Most of all, as you research and decide who to vote for, check your sources. Often times, you can find videos of debates and interviews that serve as a better resource than opinion articles or illegitimate news sources. Together, the students of America can sway the vote, no matter which direction.
