by Natalia Castillo
For many youth voters, hotly contested issues of reproductive rights, U.S. foreign policy, and climate change have taken the forefront of the political conversation and are influencing their voting decisions this Presidential Election. However, for many voters, it is difficult to identify any substantive progress on the issues they care about the most, and they are concerned about whether their vote will make a difference. This month, at the Vote That Jawn press conference, student leaders from across Philadelphia and city officials reminded voters that their voice matters — in fact, the presidential vote in Pennsylvania was decided by just a 1.2% margin of votes.
Similarly, throughout this election, college-aged voters have been courted at an all-time high. If you live in a swing state like Pennsylvania, you may feel like you are being courted like you’re on The Bachelor. Everywhere you turn on the street, people are calling out to you, asking if you are registered to vote, and each night, your phone erupts with calls and texts from organizations asking who you are voting for. While some folks, unenthused by their political prospects, may be waiting for the election to pass, youth voting has become more critical than ever in this election.
In the 2020 Presidential Election, only 54% of youth voters (18-29) cast their ballots. While this was up 7% from the 2016 Presidential Election, still nearly half of young voters are not showing up during our nation’s important election. These numbers are even lower for midterm and local elections. College students from Temple, Drexel, and The University of Pennsylvania are mobilizing their campuses to get out the youth vote.
Acknowledging that youth discontent with the electoral system and elected officials has remained a persistent challenge for voting activists across the country, Cece Schleinitz, Temple University student and organizer for PA Youth Vote, says, “If you are taking your vote for granted, then you have probably seen these systems work well for you in the past.” She feels an obligation to vote not just because of her political concerns but because she knows that the outcome of the election will have a real impact on the lives of her peers, who she describes as having been impacted by systemic failures in greater ways than she has been affected.
For those who feel uncertain about their voting plan, the good news is that college campuses have an abundance of resources to help you get to your polling station on election day. In fact, Drexel University canceled classes on election day because of student representative Vivek Babu’s campaign to make voting more accessible. In his speech to young voters at the Vote That Jawn press conference, Vivek calls out to his peers, saying, “Get out there and [don’t] just vote, but make voting easier for everyone around you.” Whether by petitioning to designate election day as a school holiday or letting your friends know when and where they can vote, there are many ways for young students to help get out the vote this November.
University of Pennsylvania student and Penn Leads The Vote organizer, Alyssa Antonian says that the PLTV has been working to “institutionalize the culture of voting at Penn” for years. From registering young voters throughout the year to helping students change their registration state, PLTV is intent on making Penn a hub for youth voting each election, no matter how big or small.
While many have acknowledged that the present voting system is imperfect at best, many youth organizers emphasize the dire need for political engagement as a baseline for political action. For those who want to see a more diverse slate of leadership or hold their elected officials accountable, feel empowered by knowing that voting is not the end of political engagement, it is just the beginning.
Commentaires