Vote

Three levels of voting: local, state, federal 

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Many people often consider voting to only be a federal process that occurs every 4 years in November. Due to this misconception, many citizens often forget about local and state elections, but they are very important as well in creating change. Local and state elections are often used for passing key taxes and local ordinances and determining policy in any area, and do not always go as one would expect. They are also often determined by smaller margins than national elections, making individual participation more important. 

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Significance of local-level elections: 

• Allows for policies such as antidiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in conservative states. 

• Local government has a large stake in school quality. 

 

Significance of state-level elections: 

• In conservative states such as Missouri and Oklahoma, referendums favoring the legalization of medical marijuana have passed. 

• As recently as 2018, Democrats have won gubernatorial elections in strong Trump states such as Kansas, and Republicans have won gubernatorial elections in strong Clinton states such as Massachusetts. 

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Does 1 vote really matter? 

 

Of course! Voting is how citizens make their voices heard. While some voters may feel like their vote is meaningless, consider the following example: 

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• A local primary election in North Las Vegas was decided by who drew a better card because both candidates got the same number of votes! 

• In a June 2020 referendum in Oklahoma, a Medicaid expansion (a fundamental aspect of Obama Care) was passed by Oklahoma voters by a margin of 6,518 votes (0.96%), which was an average of 3.35 votes per precinct. 

 

Our message: Your vote matters. You are not statistically insignificant. Not only do you need to vote, but you also need to convince others to vote as well.

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Is there any other reason to vote? 

 

On top of the statistical significance of voting, it is also an important way to exercise your rights in a democratic society such as the United States. Not only are there billions in the world who cannot bring any change because of their lack of a right to vote, but there are also millions of Americans who are ineligible to vote due to their age, immigration status, criminal record, etc. You need to make sure to not only vote for yourself but also for those who do not have the choice to get their voices heard! 

 

How often does the youth vote? 

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It is quite unfortunate that voters aged 18 to 24 generally do not turn out to vote. In every election since 1972, there has never been a majority of voters aged 18 to 24 that have turned out to vote, with their best year being 2008 where 44% voted.

 

Why should the youth vote?

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A common theme among the youth’s reaction to voting is that their vote does not matter and that they simply do not have the time. This is particularly unfortunate since young people have shown a great interest in politics. It is also young people who have been most impacted by the economic recession in 2008 and are currently being most impacted by the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020. Young people are more diverse than ever, which will be essential for making everyone’s voices heard. Voter apathy is not an option, especially in these tumultuous times. 

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Important Election Dates 

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• Tuesday November 3rd - national election day 

  • Presidential election between Trump and Biden, US Senate elections in several states, and gubernatorial elections in several states.

• To look up your state primary election dates, go here.

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