This Election day, voter turnout was predictably low in Glen Rock, and across New Jersey, as the 2023 ballot was for local elections. As GRHS seniors become eligible voters, they gain a new civic responsibility to our country. In the November 2022 midterm elections, young voter turnout was relatively high, with 23% of young eligible voters coming to the polls, according to Tuft University’s research group, CIRCLE. Comparatively, in 2018, a record high was achieved when 28% of young eligible voters participated in the election, a stark contrast to 13% in 2014. Youth voter turnout is trending upwards- how can we continue to encourage young voters?
At this point in the 4-year cycle, there are no gubernatorial or presidential elections, but that shouldn’t undermine the importance of voting. When asked about why voting is important, GRHS senior Bradley Thomas stated, “Voting is important in order to have our voices heard. It is our way of enacting change in our community. We finally are able to stand for what we believe is right. Voting also changes how our hard-earned money is spent for services that directly affect us and those around us.”
In 2022, the youth vote was crucial to many “battleground states”- swing states that could be won by either a Republican or a Democratic candidate. In the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, the youth share was 12% of the vote. The importance of the youth vote cannot be understated. However, many young voters are uneducated on the process of voter registration. To combat this, GRHS senior Jessie Levine says: “[We should] have social studies teachers take a few minutes to go over the importance of voting and give specific instructions on how to register.”
Generation Z, individuals born between 1997 to 2012, have the easiest access to information compared to other generations. Since the introduction of the internet and smartphones, we’ve been able to access almost anything at the click of a button. To some, this makes low voter turnout among Gen Z that much more frustrating. With easily accessible information also comes disinformation, which has been heightened by AI and bots on social media applications. Young voters can often be fooled by disinformation circulated by those who have ulterior motives- it is important to check different perspectives and sources. The NAACP explains: “The spread of disinformation has been an ongoing attempt to tarnish and erode our democracy, and we must do everything in our power to fight it…There is a long history of tactics used to disenfranchise voters. We have experienced how flyers, billboards, and other offline tactics are used to tell voters incorrect information that could prevent them from participating in an election.” Online and offline, young voters are often led to believe that their vote is insignificant. This belief is part of what keeps youth voter turnout low.
As we gear up for the 2024 Presidential election, it is essential to encourage young voters to show up at the polls. Addressing those who are unaware of the significance of a single vote, GR senior Ben Raser says, “I think it is important to vote because even though I am only “one person”, everyone is “one person” and our [individual] vote counts the same amount. Together, everyone who is only “one person” can contribute to deciding who can lead our country.”
