From policy to action: Young voices in elections

By Foster Conner
Page Editor

Voting has been the voice of the people since our nation was founded in 1776. It has been our main way of making changes that benefit us as citizens of The United States. Our votes impact citizens who are young and old and for young adults especially, the policies and leaders that are elected can impact their lives for many years.

Younger adults need to be more active in the political system. There needs to be a focus on understanding the policies that both parties represent and identify what leaders and policies young adults want to see happen in their lifetime.

Unfortunately with the lasting impact of presidential elections and votes for policies, young adults do not tend to vote as much as the older generations. While we do
not have a census on the numbers for how many young people voted in the 2024 elections, we do have a statistic from 2022 by Pew Research stating that young adults only made up 10% of those who voted while adults over 65 made up 60% of the population who voted.

The truth is, over half of the population who do vote will likely not see the lasting impacts of policies and presidents that they vote on. This disparity in voting numbers leaves little room for young
adults to impact change and pass beneficial policies that they will have to live with. Policies like climate change, social services and international relations can have lasting effects on our nation that older generations will not have to experience the harmful effects from.

According to the same Pew Research, young adults tend to vote for democrats and older generations tend to vote more republican. Democrats tend to be more progressive and focus on social reform whereas republicans tend to focus on fiscal gains and industry. Yet with low turnouts on young adult voters, social reforms are less advocated for which limits the amount of important policies that benefit marginalized groups.

By knowing who is running for office and what the vision they expect for local communities is, voting can help young adults advocate for important reforms. The simple act of staying informed and voting gives young adults the power to affect change on multiple levels of government.