Do you remember the 2016 election? With two candidates that had seemingly nothing in common and almost opposite policies, there was a lot at stake.
Are You Ready to Vote?
Make sure you’re ready to go for Election Day, and get your friends to vote, too!
During this defining political moment, however, young people turned out in very low numbers. Less than 50 percent of eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 29 actually cast a ballot.
While young adult turnout increased in the 2018 midterm election, we can’t afford to get comfortable. Our voices matter. We must continue to turn out to vote.
That’s why the FCNL Young Adult program is partnering with HeadCount, an organization that works with musicians to register people at concerts, to start a voter registration campaign. But we can’t do this alone. We need your help to try and get as many voices heard as possible.
We’ll be honest with you all. We’re exhausted. In times like these, it is difficult to think about anything but the struggles we are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything seems to be on pause. But one thing we’ve realized is that we can organize digitally in order to continue making a difference in our local communities and around the country. It is amazing what you can do from behind a laptop—including getting hundreds of young adults registered to vote.
Here are five reasons you should vote and get your friends to vote:
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Leadership is important. This pandemic has taught us a lot, including the importance of leadership we can trust. With some experts predicting pandemic-related disruptions and complications through the winter and beyond, we must remember that the incoming president and members of Congress will be responsible for continuing the response to this crisis.
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Representation goes a long way. The 2018 midterm election brought in the most diverse class of legislators we have ever seen. To see ourselves reflected in our leaders brings hope and inspiration. In addition, electing leaders that accurately represent the diversity of our communities helps ensure that those communities are heard in the policy-making process.
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Apathy towards voting slows down our democracy. If you’re reading this, you might not have to be convinced that voting is important—you just needed the right resource to get registered. There are many young adults, however, that are apathetic towards voting. If someone doesn’t care to vote, they might not care to inform themselves about the candidates and the issues. Talk to your friends about voting!
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You might be registered already, but you should check your registration. Young adults move around a lot! Especially now that many of us relocated due to the pandemic, you should check to make sure that your address is up to date.
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Let’s be real. It’s fun to take a picture with that “I voted” sticker.
