From Movements To Action

As Black Lives Matter protests around the world continue to grow in size and scale, more and more it is clear who is taking charge. Younger generations have taken over the movement; they have mobilized hundreds of thousands of protesters and turned social media into a hotspot for information and activism.

This isn’t the first time, especially in the past few years, that youth have taken control. We saw it in 2018, as students in Parkland, Florida sparked a national conversation about gun control. And we’ve seen students around the world have staged countless walkouts protesting climate change. Younger generations have shown that they not only care, but they are willing to fight for the issues they believe in.

So why don’t young people vote? Why, despite the obvious passion and urgency from young activists, is the youth vote not growing?

Clearly, it has nothing to do with the passion of young voters. So maybe it has more to do with the politicians themselves and the fact that young voters have found their voices ignored and silenced time and time again. For a lot of young people, politics and politicians are not the answer to their problems; they have lost faith in the political process. There is a general feeling among many college students and recent graduates, that their vote won’t change anything. And they’ve seen nothing to prove otherwise; rather, they see a system that has consistently failed them.

That’s not to say that young people won’t vote this November. But there might not be the surge in youth voter turnout that many are hoping for. It presents a challenge, but also an opportunity, for a candidate like Joe Biden who doesn’t seem to have the same appeal or ability to energize young voters that Bernie Sanders did. But even Bernie Sanders couldn’t get enough young voters out during the primaries to win the nomination. It’s clear that Joe Biden will have to make a real effort to get young people out to vote, and that means more than just acknowledging their ideas.

One way for young voters to have their voices heard is to get in the game. Reach out to a national or a local campaign that aligns with your values and volunteer. Right now, at this unprecedented moment in history, there is enormous opportunity for young voters. 

As campaigns go digital, they are more and more in need of volunteers with capabilities unique to the young voters wheelhouse.  Become an e-canvasser, a virtual phone banker, social media amplifier, write a letter to the editor, host a virtual meet and greet. The more young people engage the greater their influence.

Finally, there are also a number of organizations working on increasing voter turnout, both by spreading awareness and registering young voters. The following organizations are national efforts, always looking for more volunteers or donations. Even if you can’t join their fight, there are still valuable resources with lots of more information on youth voter turnout.

withthevote.com

rockthevote.com

18by.vote

allianceforyouthaction.org

Protests might get smaller, and the news might stop covering them. But the fight continues until November, and even after then.  Bottom line. Vote. Get all your friends to vote and volunteer if you can. We can’t fix this system if we don’t participate in it.

written by:

our brilliant intern, Anna Rosenfeld

photo cred: @chnge