“Young people need to vote. They need to get out there. Every vote counts. Educate yourself too. Don't just vote. Know what you're voting for, and stand by that” -Nikki Reed. Youth voter turnout has begun to decrease in participation. This usually pertains to people in early to mid twenties and under. A question that we need to ask ourselves is what are the reasons as to why some youth don’t vote? One could say there isn’t a simple answer; there are many reasons youth decide not to vote. The electoral process seems to be the “umbrella term” for it. Depending on as to who they may be, some are uneducated, and some feel as their vote won’t make a difference etc. The leading factors in the decline in youth voting that will be focused on are unconventional participation, life cycle effects and voting laws. These factors cause youth to feel less of a need to vote and as a result can lead to their ignorance within society. Within the electoral process, unconventional participation may occur. This is when uncommon behavior relatively challenges or defines government or the culture. An example of unconventional participation would be, lack of education in politics, specifically uneducated voting. This can be seen as an issue of ignorance. And is a huge issue surfacing within politics for youth voters and is the reason many do not vote. Clearly, more attention is needed in their pre-adult years. As said by Cameron D Anderson and Elizabeth Goodyear Grant, in Youth Turnout: Adolescents’ Attitudes in Ontario, “Political socialization-…-is a process that starts in early childhood and continues into adulthood. Understanding young adults’ political behavior requires more serious attention to the pre-adult years.” Voting and abstention are habitual. Abstention is the decline in the vote for or against a proposal. Consequently, great attention is clearly needed. How individuals may become apart of their community politically. And also, acquire attitudes based on behavior and symbols. This demonstrates the generational effects of the electoral process. How aging can change views of adolescents with new perspective and knowledge of their surroundings; not to mention, the influences that can be put on them by generations of their family whether it is the elderly or parents. Unconventional participation tends to be linked to cynicism (Pammett and LeDuc, 2003). But youth tend to be surprisingly less cynical. Meaning, their perceived distrust for others is actually less then adults. Another factor to affect the youth turnout is the life cycle effect. This is when being in a process of changing political attitudes based on different situations. Life cycle factors can pertain from increased mobility to singlehood. In the discussion of singlehood (Stroker and Jennings, 1995), it correlates to being unmarried. In relation to voting with the influence of a spouse or significant other, one may be more prone or inclined to vote. What others may perceive is youth need to be influences to vote or even may share similar views with that significant other. Now when it comes to increased mobility (Squire et al., 1987), it is an essential need, whether it is to access things from goods and services to
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Even though they may not believe it, it is very much true. If one were to say “one vote won’t make a difference” to everyone it would tremendously effect the whole voting process, in decreasing drastically. With unconventional participation, lifecycle effects and voting laws are all under the umbrella term of the electoral process. With these factors there has been a decline in youth voter turnout, causing them to feel less inclined to vote, leading to ignorance within society. In asking what has caused the decline lead to the answer of how to increase voter turnout positively. This is great increase can occur by reorganization of curriculum, roles of the political parties, and technology. All it takes it focus on the youth. If we do that, it can benefit the society in the long run; especially considering they are the future of the society. Youth control the future so it is important the engagement begins with them in pre-adult years. Without their engagement the world will stand still. As said perfectly by Mark Twain, “The heart is the real Fountain of Youth. While that remains young the Waterbury of Time must stand
Even though they may not believe it, it is very much true. If one were to say “one vote won’t make a difference” to everyone it would tremendously effect the whole voting process, in decreasing drastically. With unconventional participation, lifecycle effects and voting laws are all under the umbrella term of the electoral process. With these factors there has been a decline in youth voter turnout, causing them to feel less inclined to vote, leading to ignorance within society. In asking what has caused the decline lead to the answer of how to increase voter turnout positively. This is great increase can occur by reorganization of curriculum, roles of the political parties, and technology. All it takes it focus on the youth. If we do that, it can benefit the society in the long run; especially considering they are the future of the society. Youth control the future so it is important the engagement begins with them in pre-adult years. Without their engagement the world will stand still. As said perfectly by Mark Twain, “The heart is the real Fountain of Youth. While that remains young the Waterbury of Time must stand