vote
WHY YOU SHOULD by Sanjna Mootakoduru; edited by: Shivanshi Sharma, Harvi Karatha, and Arushi Patil; layout by: Alison Ye
If you’re reading this magazine right now, chances are you’re a student, and chances are, you’ve asked yourself, “why should I vote?” at least once as the upcoming election nears. That’s a good question. Living in a democratic nation has it’s obvious perks: we get to vote for who we want as a leader and consequently, how we want to see the government run. Yet, there are millions of people who don’t vote. During the 2016 Presidential election, the United States had an incredibly low voter turnout compared to other countries.
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According to a Pew Research Center study, U.S. voter turnout ranks 31 out of 35 developed countries. This low turnout produces a chain effect - people adopt the mentality that since so many people don’t vote, they don’t need to either. Young Americans are infamous for taking their ability to vote for granted, which is surprising since they compose half of the eligible voting population. During the 2016 Presidential election, USA Today observed that only 19% of people aged 18-29 voted. Looking at data like those, it’s funny to think that younger Americans have a political advantage in a potential strength in numbers. America is for the people, and you are among those people. s long as you are older than 18, you get a say in how you want this country to look, feel, and function. When you don’t vote, you allow other people to decide who your president will be.If your preferred candidate doesn’t win and you didn’t vote, there is no one to blame but yourself.
