When I turned eighteen I didn’t rush out to buy porn, cigarettes and lotto.
Instead I went to the Registrar’s Office at my local City Hall and registered to vote. I didn’t exactly have lots of friends doing the same, so I began to worry that our generation might be a bit disconnected when it came to civic engagement.
Then, as a young Navy wife, I heard young military members and their spouses casually say, “eh, I’m not voting” if the subject of local elections came up. They would say things like “it’s not like I’m from here or plan to be here long so I’m not registered”. I always found that attitude perplexing, especially from people who serve their country.
At the time, my husband and I lived in California, a state obsessed with ballot measures and referendums. In the year-and-a-half I lived in San Diego, I think we voted three times on the proper placement of a large religious cross. Today, the issue still isn’t completely resolved.
I understand, then, voter ennui. Some issues require people to educate themselves and do a little homework. Still, I engaged more than one person in a friendly debate about why they should be informed and cast a ballot.
It’s shocking how quickly our society has gone from fighting for the right to vote to taking it for granted. Every time I enter the polling booth, I say a quiet thank you to the suffragists who gave women the right.
Today, though, I’m more and more encouraged about the voting habits of the Millennial generation as we continue to mature. Turnout among youth voters started on an upward trend in the 2004 and 2006 elections. In 2008, participation skyrocketed and TIME Magazineand dubbed it The Year of the Youth Vote.
The 2008 election also saw the highest turnout among young African Americans since 1972, and there’s encouraging new evidence that the young African Americans who voted in 2008 are planning to vote in upcoming midterm elections at higher rates than their white and Hispanic cohorts.
I live in an area that had local elections this week. I was happy to see other young people in line at the elementary school where I cast my ballot and friends posting reminders to vote on their Facebook feeds.
Most encouraging, though, was the fact that there were several candidates under 30 on local ballots. A student at Old Dominion University, who turned 21 during his campaign, was unsuccessful in his bid for mayor of Norfolk, Va.
Another Millennial made a bit of history by winning a seat on the Williamsburg (Va) City Council. Scott Foster is the first student at the College of William & Mary to be elected to the council. Foster ran on a platform that encouraged a stronger relationship between the permanent residents of Williamsburg and college students. He won with a clear majority of the votes, many cast by college students thanks to an impressive effort to get out the vote on campus.
What’s more, Foster was even endorsed by the local newspaper.
Most of us may not be ready to make a run at public office, but it’s inspiring to see members of our generation reaching out to their peers and elders to bring a community together.
So do your part. Register to vote, if you’re not already, and cast your ballot in the next election, local or otherwise.
And, if you need more incentive, the nice poll workers will give you a sticker when you’re done.
Are you registered? Do you turn out for local elections or just statewide and national ones? Do you have interest in voting for Congressional races this fall?
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