Young adults recently gave NPR 5 reasons why they did not vote in the 2016 general election and do not plan to vote in the 2018 midterm election. We take on the Big 5 in this new blog series, “5-5=Vote!”
Reason #5: It’s not effective. Some young people think voting doesn’t matter because voting is not an effective way of creating change. But it’s no coincidence politicians pay a lot of attention to Medicare and Social Security. Older citizens who care about these issues vote at rates that dwarf the turnout among young voters. If young people voted in the same numbers, politicians would pay more attention to issues like the minimum wage, college debt, and climate change. Make politicians care about issues important to you by making your voice heard. Vote!