OPINION - Voting is not just our right as citizens, it is our duty. Voter turnout among young people has been notoriously low, but this does not have to be the narrative this year.
Voting is important. Politics affects nearly every aspect of our current and future lives, and as students, we need to take an active role in shaping what we want those policies to be.
State and local officials make important decisions that affect our everyday life.
These include: higher education funding, environmental policies, affordable housing policies, medical care, and many other items.
The situation won’t be changed by sitting idle while others make major political decisions. Youth voters who want to inspire change need to show their support for the candidates who they feel best represent their needs.
No one else is going to vote in the interests of young people, except young people.
Participating in politics is a hard-won right in our nation. Our parents didn’t care about what got in their way and they made sure they stuck together to get their voices heard. They kept fighting no matter what was said or what set them back and their courage got us to where we are today.
Let’s not waste that sacrifice, let’s make the change right for us and keep fighting like our parents did back then for a better future.