The right to vote for elected government officials is one of the most fundamental American rights.
But historically, adults ages 18 to 24 do not have good turnout at the polls. University of Memphis political science professor and Boston native Michael Sances thinks voting is an essential act to any democratic system and the most equal way to send a message to politicians.
“Not everyone can be an activist, lobbyist or donor because of limited time and resources,” Sances said. “But everyone has a legal right to vote, and all votes count equally."
Since the 1964 presidential election, eligible voters between the ages of 18 and 24 have consistently posted the lowest turnout among voters in every other age group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey completed in Nov. 2012.
In the 2012 election, 45 percent of adults 18 to 24 voted, but 63 percent of adults aged 30 to 64 voted in the election.
In Tennessee, about 42 percent of college age voters went to the polls in 2012.
“It takes time and resources to vote, but it also takes interest,” Sances said. “Students and young people in general have less time, resources and interest.”
Many times college students are attending school outside of their home state, which makes it harder to both register and vote.
Sances said it is understandable to have a lower turnout for young citizens for these reasons.
Jenny Tyler, 21, engineering junior from Memphis, thinks everyone should not only register but also go and vote.
“I understand it takes time to get registered, but I also think if we want to change something, we have to put our voice out there by voting,” Tyler said. “Just registering isn’t enough though; you have to actually go and vote.”
Louis Focht, 22, international studies and German senior and president of the U of M college republicans, thinks voting is important no matter which side you pick.
“I think students should study both candidates and understand what they stand for,” Focht said. “We live in a democratic society and need to know who is representing us. Many students don’t care about the process to get registered, so they aren’t willing to learn.”
The U of M student organizations college republicans and college democrats have held events in the past for students to register to vote in the national elections, but Focht doesn’t know if any plan to have it again.
“We should probably do some more, but we would need more forms,” Focht said.
Election Day is Nov. 8, and Tennessee residents must register by Oct. 8 to be able to vote in the 2016 presidential elections. Residents of Tennessee can register on the GoVoteTN website. Non-residents can visit the VoteUSA website to register in their home state.
