Alarms blaring into her ears, she shoots up out of bed. Today is the day for her to vote in the midterms. She hasn’t done any research or paid any attention to who’s running. She slowly rolls back into bed, already given up.

Her voice won’t be heard and she doesn’t think it matters. This is a similar scenario young voters around the nation are experiencing.

In spite of this shared experience, the midterms revealed an astounding fact to every current and future voter. The voices of the youth completely and utterly matter. They can change the future and allow us to mold our world into what we wish/need it to be. All we need to do is keep voting and get those around us to join and help us create a better future.

We at the Dispatch demand that those who can vote, do. The second students turn 18 and become eligible to vote it is essential that they do. It is essential that the historically silent-young begin to exercise their rights and use their voices. 

Every American under 25 who are eligible must vote and play their extremely important role in democracy and vote every opportunity they are given.

What our government does and chooses to do is based around the representatives that we put into office, and it is the voters who make the choices who those people are.

Almost immediately after high school, the world is thrown into the hands of the young. When we leave and become independent citizens the world affects us more than it ever has with the changes and implementations the government makes impact our daily lives. 

When looking at individual states, such as Georgia there was over a million voters in 2022, according to the Georgia Secretary of State. Alongside this outstanding number, the Civic Learning Research Center found that Georgia had the second-highest young voter turnout in the last three decades, 4% less than the highest turnout in 2018.

This incredible voter turnout out and the results that youth provides is an extremely significant example of how young voices matter. When eligible, potential voters make the effort to vote, not only does it change our policies, it shares a truer representation of what the American people want in their government.

Many eligible voters share extremely similar ideals. According to a Harvard poll conducted in 2022, 42% of 18-29-year-olds share that they believe their vote won’t make any difference. The poll release by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School also found that 38% of young voters are less likely to vote at all. They believe their vote doesn’t matter and choose to stay silent.

While this way of thinking is technically accurate, when a large majority of young voters share this ideal, elections vary extremely as to what they could have resulted in. The midterm results are a prime example of this.

While everyone was expecting a red wave, some fearing it and others praying for it, an incredible turnout of young voters changed that. The expected red wave was ultimately voided because the youth of America chose to share their voices. 

If the sentiment of “one is none” was shared by these voters the expected red wave would have most definitely surfaced.

The only possible way for America as a country to fix the lack of representation is by voting. Every young voter needs to charge to the polling places and vote. Every registered voter needs to push eligible voters to register and vote. It is incredibly important that every citizen takes the time and effort to vote on what they believe in.

We at the Dispatch beg, urge, and demand that voters and students alike take time out of their lives to vote and share their vote. Ensure your personal representation and make a truer country, one more fitting for what you personally believe in.