Zoomer Zone: Voting is Our Super Power

EMMA DISON BRANTLEY

Young voters are notorious for forgetting to vote or not wanting to, but the critical issues discussed during elections are ones which most often affect students and the incoming working class. Millennials make up more than half the voter population, and the December 6 runoff election between incumbent Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican opponent (and former Georgia Bulldog) Herschel Walker ia a particularly crucial one for this group.

So, why don’t younger generations vote as often as older generations? A survey of a small group of students at the University of Cincinnati uncovered various reasons, ranging from forgetting to get absentee ballots in on time to just not caring who is in office. Marie Hughes (UC ’25) said she didn’t get her absentee ballot in time but also knew she could have made more of an effort to vote. Not only should parents be teaching their kids about the right to vote, but it’s also easier than ever to be an educated voter. Before the 1960s, debates were heard over the radio or read about in the newspaper, but with YouTube, social media, and the ability to connect easily with other people, there’s no reason not to be an educated voter. Here are some ways to start talking about voting at an early age and incite the younger generations to vote more.

Hosting mock elections. Hosting a mock election on any topic is a good way to introduce how voting works. Start out with something easy, like the best ice cream flavor or the best Disney character. Middle school and high schools even hold class elections to get kids interested in political issues before they’re of age to vote.

Poll worker recruitment. Voters have to be at least 18 years old, but in Georgia, anyone 16 years or older can be a poll worker. Starting early to learn how the voting process works and volunteering your time to give back to the community is great practice for future generations of voters. During Covid-19, Gen Z and millennials stepped up and worked the polls so older voters could stay home and be safe.

Local races first. When thinking about voting, most people in Gen Z think about presidential elections and state representative elections, but many don’t think about local elections. It can be overwhelming thinking about who is going to represent an entire state, much less thinking about who is going to represent an entire country. Local races like for mayor or city council members are more personal and engaging for a young voter. Local decisions are voted on and starting with smaller issues in one’s community is a great start to being an educated voter.

These strategies to get younger generations interested in voting are only the beginning. Online media is shaping our generation and there’s more outreach with online campaigning and streamed rallies. The motivation for voting should be out of positivity and wanting to make a better world and not from choosing a lesser of two evils. If we let negatively motivated voting consume us, this world will be more divided than we already are.

EMMA DISON BRANTLEY is a third-year student at the University of Cincinnati, where she is pursuing a degree in information technology on the game development and simulation track. When she is not gaming online, she spends time with her parents trying to help them not be so boomer.