As a staff, each of us wears many hats. We are college students, journalists and members of Generation Z. Now, as many of us cast our ballots in a presidential election for the first time, we may also call ourselves a new esteemed title: voters.
Our demographic of young voters is sought after by candidates of all parties. Tufts University reported that 41 million members of Gen Z are eligible to vote in the upcoming election. However, turnout among young voters is notoriously low. Only 53% of adults ages 18-29 told Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics they will “definitely” vote this year.
Our votes are valued, and together, they add up. For this reason, we are especially surrounded by messages telling us to register to vote and who to vote for, whether we are on our phones or stopped on the way to class by someone with a clipboard.
To say that your vote is your voice is cliché and may feel out of touch. We understand that our peers are discouraged by the ways both sides of government have failed them throughout their lives. However, voting is one of the most direct ways to make an impact on government from local to national levels. Plus, it is easy.
As young voters, we are allowed to feel empowered with our new responsibility, yet disappointed in our options and electoral system. What matters is whether we channel these feelings into action or apathy.
Our call to our readers is that you perform your civic duty in this monumental election, voting down the ballot from the offices of president to congress. You have a say in who represents you – use it.
The following are The Rocket’s top four reasons to vote:
Swing state ballots are valuable
Many of our readers are citizens of Pennsylvania, a vital battleground state. Both major party candidates have held rallies in our area this month – Donald Trump returned to Butler and Tim Walz represented Kamala Harris’ campaign in neighboring Lawrence County.
Harris announced Walz as her running mate in Philadelphia. The Sept. 10 presidential debate was held there as well. These events target Pennsylvania voters because we matter on a national level. Whether Pennsylvania turns red or blue on the electoral map next month could come down to the votes of a few, including yours.
Voting is easier than you think
Registering to vote and casting your ballot can be intimidating. “Bureaucratic processes are designed to be complicated so that government can have as much control as possible while still maintaining a falsehood of democracy,” Student Life Editor Annabelle Chipps said.
That said, we hope to demystify the voting process here based on our own experiences. Registering to vote is so quick and easy you can do it on your walk from Vincent to ATS.
“It was way less of a process than I expected,” first time voter and Assistant Student Life Editor Kayla Raynak said.
Keep in mind that the deadline to register to vote in the 2024 election in Pennsylvania is Oct. 21. If you intend to vote by mail, your request to do so must be received by Oct. 29.
This brings us to another point: voting is accessible no matter where you are. Some of us are not native to Butler county and are voting by mail to be counted with our hometowns.
However, it is important to note that college students who attend university in Pennsylvania have the option of changing their precinct to their school locale. In that case, your vote could be counted among those in Slippery Rock no matter where you are from.
You have the power
Whatever issues you care about, you can have a say in how they are addressed by voting. A 2023 poll from Tufts University found that young voters highly value issues of the economy (cost of living and a livable wage), gun violence and the climate when casting their votes.
Student loan debt and education policies are others that college students will find close to home. It is vital that young voters research candidates’ policy platforms to find out how their vote can affect the change they want to see.
Own the history
Voting is not a responsibility to take lightly, especially knowing that many groups historically have not had the right to vote. Some groups, including those with criminal convictions, remain ineligible to vote today.
“My advice to a peer who is reluctant to vote is this: you were given the right to vote for a reason. Use it,” News Editor Hayden Schultz said. “It is a sacred form of political participation to protect your interests and beliefs.”
Your vote is a right that generations have fought and died for. Take ownership of that right at the polls next month.
Participation in democracy, though, is about more than voting. Casting your ballot, wiping your hands and moving on is not enough.
We each have a duty to educate ourselves and stay informed on the issues of our communities. In addition, we always have access to avenues of activism and advocacy. Where we put our time, money and effort goes a long way.
Though civic responsibility is not a one-and-done act, voting in the 2024 presidential election is a simple way to be an engaged citizen.
Vote on Nov. 5, and leave the polls wearing your souvenir sticker with pride: “I voted.”
