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“Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about things that matter.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.
We often fail to recognize our power as voters. There’s a popular myth that as an individual, your one voice, or vote, doesn’t count in the bigger picture. Yet, they’re numerous examples of candidates winning elections by less than one-half of a percentage point, clearly demonstrating that every single vote really DOES count. While unlimited campaign contributions do skew a perfect democracy, an equally challenging barrier to a just political system is the lack of engagement by citizens. The only thing politicians need more than money is votes! If every single person registered to vote and participated in every election, governments around the world would look very different than they do today.
Currently, there are 20 countries that deny citizens the right to vote, while many other nations have varying degrees of voting rights depending on age, gender, criminal record and election laws. For many, voting is still a relatively new right. In Switzerland, for example, women gained suffrage in 1971. In South Africa, you could be denied the right to vote based on your race until 1994. That’s why those who do have the right to vote have a moral obligation to do so.
In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, only 55% of voting age citizens actually cast a ballot for their future leader. According to Science News for Students, there are four big barriers to voting: 1), Inconvenience of registering. It takes time, knowledge of how and where to register, and the ability to provide the required ID and/or proof of citizenship to register. 2) Education. People without a college degree are less likely to be concerned with political decisions. 3) Limited choices. A limited number of candidates make voting unappealing to citizens who don’t resonate with existing parties. 4) Voter apathy. It’s when individuals or groups don’t think that voting will affect their lives or issues they care about.
As Rock the Vote says, “We have the power to decide the direction of our communities and our country. RTV is dedicated to building the political power of YOU, young people, to use your voice and campaign for issues that impact your generation!” Let’s CHANGE our path forward.
Register HERE and VOTE!
US citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 comprise the lowest voting rate of the eligible voting population. In fact, only 49% of the 20.4 million college students voted in the last general election. Despite their low voting rates, the student vote matters enormously because young people (18-35) account for 31% of the voting population. Young people are the most affected by changes in economic and social policy, they represent the most diverse age group, and have the ability to swing election outcomes.
As you learned above, registration is one of the main barriers to voting in places where it is required. This challenge is meant to help you get over that hurdle, and one step closer to voting!
(*If you are under 18, imagine you are 18 and go through the steps to register so you are ready when you are of age!)
Upload a PDF Document with your responses. Include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.
Submission Guidelines
As you learned above, one of the main reasons that people don’t get out and vote is because they don’t think that voting will impact their lives. This challenge is meant to help you become familiar with candidates who align with issues that you feel strongly about.
On Tuesday, November 6, the midterm elections will decide who gets to represent you on the national, state and local levels. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 (of the 100) seats in the Senate will be contested as well as countless local seats in each of your states.
This is your chance to learn more about your current political leaders and any potential new leaders who are running for office.
Upload a PDF Document with your responses. Include your name (or team name), username, email address, and school.
Submission Guidelines
Michelle Obama once said, “Elections aren’t just about who votes, but who doesn’t vote.” Today we want you to move more people to get the vote out so their voices can impact people, planet and all species.
Upload a PDF Document with your responses and creative work. Include a screenshot of your social media post. Please include your name (or team name), username, email address and school.
Submission Guidelines
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