Young Americans Have Made It Loud and Clear: They Do Not Want To Vote
America has been trying to urge young people to vote for generations, with not-so-encouraging results. Since the ratification of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the voting age in America from 21 to 18, young adults ages 18-29 have had the lowest turnout of any other age group. The last time voter turnout for young adults eclipsed 50% was in the 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson vs. Barry Goldwater election (50.9%). That percentage has never risen above 50% since.
In 1996 (Clinton vs. Dole) and 2000 (Bush vs. Gore), the voter turnout for young adults sat slightly north of 30%. This data accompanies all ethnic groups (for all of you social justice race-baiting warriors reading this).
Younger Americans do not prioritize politics the way older Americans do. I certainly didn’t in my 20s. Some other shiny object always seems to grab a 20-something-year-old’s attention: a new song by Taylor Swift, a tweetstorm by Kanye, a new pair of Jordans that is worth standing in line for. Viewership for political cable shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight, The Rachel Maddow Show and many others tend to draw older viewing audiences. When pop culture encourages young people to vote, the results are better but still not up-to-par with older demographics. Diddy’s “Vote Or Die” campaign in 2004 helped increase young adult voter turnout to roughly 45%, but it still lagged far behind the next closest age group (30-44) which settled at 60%.
Because young people are less politically informed, why should they have a voice in decisions that would affect the entire nation?
In many cases, the political opinions of 18-29 year-olds are immature and not well-researched, nor do they have a strong foundation of knowledge to draw from. Only 26% of citizens can name the 3 branches of the American government. America’s failing education system is a culprit. Math and reading courses are pushing civics education out of the curriculum; only 17 states require high-schoolers to pass a civics course to graduate. That lack of civics knowledge eventually finds its way into universities.
From goacta.org:
“The lack of knowledge about how our system of government works starts young. More than 80 percent of college seniors at 55 top-ranked schools would have earned a D or F on historical knowledge, according to a 2015 study published by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. The survey found that about half of respondents couldn’t state the length of the terms for Senate and House members.”
To be fair, young citizens do have some roadblocks that deter them from voting. 18-29 year-olds do not have as much income as older age groups, therefore, they are not able to take off work or travel to voting locations as easily. Similar to how employers pay for a worker who is elected to jury duty, companies should pay workers while they exercise their voting rights. Because of the lack of income, younger Americans have less skin in the game that would otherwise encourage them to vote. Statistically speaking, older Americans own more businesses, have employees, own property and have larger families. All of these factors can drive a person to become more politically involved. Also, the two major American parties do not outreach very well to young potential voters. Historically, older politicians have done a poor job appealing to younger citizens, which is understandable. A 65-year-old white man may have a tough time getting through to a 20-year-old Black woman. This is why Donald Trump’s social media strategy in 2016 should be a case-study for future generations. He used platforms like Twitter and Facebook to circulate humorous memes of his opponents, while simultaneously spreading his pro-American message.
Massachusetts Representative Ayanna Pressley once advocated for the voting age to be lowered to 16. Her proposal was struck down with significant force. Deservedly so. Science proves that younger people tend to be more emotional, especially teenagers. Emotional and intellectual maturity (sometimes) comes with age. 25 is the minimum age at which a person can become a member of Congress or rent a car.
Perhaps America should adopt legislation to raise the voting age. 25-years-old seems like a good number. By 25, citizens will have experienced enough of the trials and tribulations of adulthood where they are going to be itching to vote for their President, Congressperson, Governor or Senator of their choosing.
Young people have been telling America for years that they do not care about voting. Maybe we should start listening to them.
