CARA
SYSUN NARRAGANSETT, RI Not enrolled in school Born: 1977 Essay themes: Reminding friends and relatives, election day as holiday, internet voting GABRIEL SCHECK CARA SYSUN Essay themes: Reminding friends and relatives, election day as holiday, internet voting Apathy. This feeling of unconcern is held by many of America's youth. Many young adults simply do not care about politics or feel that voting and government science is directed towards older individuals. There are many ways to get the youth of American involved in voting and politics. The young adults in the United States will be more apt to vote by interaction and encouragement, by making Election Day a holiday, and by Internet voting. GABRIEL SCHECK Why do young people not vote in elections? Common explanations are that the youth of America is cynical toward the political process, disengaged from our electoral system, and/or politically apathetic. Yet, while it is true that young people do not vote as often as their older counterparts, the preceding explanations for this lack of turnout are incorrect: for although eighteen to twenty-four year olds do not vote often, they do take part in the political process through other relevant means. Therefore, I will refute explanations that focus on the attitudes of youth towards politics, and instead, argue that young people do not vote as much as other Americans because they do not register to vote as often. The Current Population Reports of the Census Bureau demonstrated in 1996 that eighteen to twenty-four year old Americans did not vote in elections nearly as often as other citizens. Only 36.9 percent of twenty to twenty-four year olds voted in the most recent Presidential election. Furthermore, only 32.4 percent of eighteen and nineteen year olds voted in the same election. These numbers are particularly disheartening when compared to the average turnout of 58.4 percent. In sum, most people agree that young people are not voting as often as other Americans. Contention, however, stems from the debate over why the youth of America have smaller turnout numbers: is this disparity due to apathy and disengagement, or, are other factors at work? Some statistics, outside of turnout numbers, demonstrate that young people are not apathetic, but are just as politically active as older Americans. Alan Zuckerman, in his work First Steps into Politics: Networks of Association and the Decisions of Young People to Engage in Political Participation analyzes data from multiple surveys of young and old Americans to determine that American youth in the 1980's "were just as likely as older citizens to discuss political issues and to be members of political organizations or communal associations" (1999, 4). Furthermore, young people were more likely to attend a political rally, try to influence someone else's vote, or work for a political candidate or party (1999, 4). Such statistics demonstrate that voting turnout rates do not serve as complete indicators of political activity among American youth. For upon examination of non-voting political activity, it is clear that young people, overall, are neither apathetic nor cynical towards the political process. Yet, if the youth of America is not more disengaged from the political process than the rest of the country, why do they have disproportionately low voter turnout rates? The major answer to this question is that young people do not register to vote as often as other Americans. Due to the fact that every citizen must first register to vote before he or she may cast a ballot in any election, registration statistics will play a large role in actual voting turnout numbers. According to the Current Population Reports of the Census Bureau, as of November 1996, only 43.4 percent of eighteen and nineteen year old Americans had registered to vote. Moreover, only 51 percent of Americans of the ages twenty to twenty-four had registered to vote. These numbers are even more discouraging when compared to the national average of nearly 66 percent. As previously demonstrated, however, America's youth is not any more cynical or apathetic towards politics than the rest of the nation. Therefore, I assert that structural factors in the registration process itself explain the disparity between the registration rates of young and old people. In order to close this gap, I suggest that every person should be able to register the same day that he or she chooses to vote. Same-day registration would limit the negative consequences of young people changing their state residences because they are entering the professional world, or going to school out of state. Furthermore, same-day registration would allow newly eligible voters to register and cast their ballot in one stroke, subsequently leading more young people to the polls. My personal experience supports this argument. I am currently volunteering for a presidential campaign and majoring in Political Science. Despite my high level of political activity, I am not registered to vote. Previous legislative attempts to facilitate my registration have been ineffective. Because I do not drive, motor/voter legislation does not address my situation. Furthermore, I have pre-registered to vote at my college campus, but Rhode Island officials have misplaced my application numerous times. Same-day registration would help me, and other politically engaged youth, overcome the current bureaucratic hurdle of pre-registration and, in turn, vote in elections. Same-day registration would increase voting by young people, and subsequently, diminish the myth that the youth of America are apathetic and lack political engagement. Such stereotypes misconstrue the difficulties that young people face in attempting to vote in elections. Therefore, we must not only place greater political faith in the youth of America, but also give our nation's young people every reasonable opportunity to vote; otherwise, the future of democracy is in danger. |