The Children('s Voting Behaviors) Are Our Future by Sophia

The Children('s Voting Behaviors) Are Our Future by Sophia - July 2017 Scholarship Essay

If given the opportunity to present a TED Talk, I would focus on the importance of Americans ages 18 to 24 participating in elections—namely presidential elections. The 26th amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1971, lowered the legal voting age from 21 to 18, enfranchising millions of young Americans and inviting them to partake in the political process. However, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans between the ages 18 and 24 have historically had the lowest voter turnout of any age demographic. In 1972, the first presidential election following the ratification of the 26th amendment, only 49.6% of eligible voters 18 to 24 turned in a ballot. In 2016, a mere 39.4%. Americans 65 years and older tend to have the highest voter turnout. By comparison, in 1972, 63.5 % of eligible voters 65 and older submitted a ballot; 68.4% in 2016.
This dramatically influences the direction of policy the United States will take on issues that will certainly affect young voters for a much longer time than elderly voters. The elderly vote is undeniably valuable and necessary to the political process. The key difference between the elderly vote and the young vote is elderly voters are actively manifesting their power at the polls; young voters are not. This issue transcends party lines. Young people of all political affiliations are not showing up to the polls, and no matter your party preference, your voice needs to be heard.
I would be remiss in this presentation if I did not also take into consideration the intersections of race and gender and the attempts on voter suppression by state governments to prevent certain demographics from voting. This affront to voting rights makes it even more urgent for young people to be involved in the political process, so all people can be involved.
I am passionate about this issue because as a young voter, I have witnessed this phenomenon first hand. Political consciousness is becoming increasingly common among people my age, but so is political apathy and cynicism. Our vitriolic political culture has made it is easy for young people to remove themselves from the process since people in power do not represent their views and values. That only furthers the problem. Involvement, even just through voting, is a powerful tool that can influence how the history books are written. In my future political career, I want to put this issue at the forefront of my platform. The youth vote represents the future of the country, and that deserves to be heard.