- Published: October 1, 2022
- Updated: October 1, 2022
- Level: Undergraduate
- Language: English
- Downloads: 29
Journal Assignment Young people do not vote as frequently as older people for a variety of different reasons. The most common reason why young peopleshy away from politics is because they feel disenfranchised by the whole political system. The problem can come back to a lack of education about the political process. If young people realized how important politics was to their futures, then I am sure that they would vote in greater numbers. The irony is that older people vote in larger numbers even though the policies that are enacted by politicians will not be for the long term. On the other hand, young people have their whole lives ahead of them, so they have all the more reason to vote.
Another reason why young people don’t get out and vote as much is because they do not consider it a priority in their lives. Young people aged between 18 and 29 generally have other activities that keep them preoccupied, such as studying, working, or partying. For these first two activities, young people could actually improve their prospects of getting a job or receiving a scholarship to go to university simply by voting for politicians who support education and creating jobs. For the issue of partying, there is not much to do that could change young people’s attitudes because of the particular stage where they are at in their lives.
Furthermore, young people may not vote because they constantly move from state to state and so are not registered to vote where they currently reside. Young people often experience great upheaval as part of their lives, and this may mean moving from state to state to try and find a suitable job. Changing over voter registration to another state may seem complicated and too time consuming, and so young people just choose not to update their details. Also, if young people are out of state, then they may not want to send in a ballot beforehand because it involves a lot of extra effort. The key to getting young people to the ballot box is by making things as simple as possible for them.
The first way to encourage young people to vote is by providing education about the voting system and what their votes mean to the well-being of the country as a whole. Young people are at a stage in their lives where they are articulate, and so they can understand a reasonable argument that is presented to them in an easy to understand manner. Another way to get younger people to vote is by presenting campaigns to them through a medium that they are already comfortable with. This of course refers to social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Young people already spend vast amounts of time on these sites, so using them to promote political awareness can have a positive effect on young voter turnout. If young people can be persuaded that their votes count, then there is no reason for them not to turn up to the ballot box.