Amid the current public health crisis and racial justice protests across the country, the U.S. is facing an additional problem: a significant decline in voter registration. According to a recent USA Today article, new voter registration is down 70 percent in comparison to this time four years ago, a substantial decrease that will have serious repercussions for the presidential elections in November. Low voter turnout among young people is not a new phenomenon, because despite being the largest age demographic in the country, people aged 18 to 29 vote at rates 30 percent lower than other age groups on average. This discrepancy needs to be addressed immediately, for young people deserve to express how a plethora of political issues uniquely impact their age group.
While it is improbable that all young people across the nation will be given easy access to voting resources, outreach on college and university campuses is an effective place to start. It is key that campuses create active voting coalitions to ensure that voting is easy and safe, as well as engage students with the democratic process as a whole. It is imperative that members of the administration, faculty, staff and student organizations work together to actively promote voter registration resources and encourage students to have their opinions represented on Election Day.
Young people will inherit the political decisions made by elected officials, and the effects of these decisions have the potential to drastically impact our lives, for better or for worse. We deserve to have our opinions heard. We must vote.
Kate Murray
Mount Holyoke Student
Student PIRGs Summer Intern