Voting is one of the most important issues facing our country today.  Turning 18 in this country is a rite of passage, and although many teens feel turning sixteen or twenty-one is far more exciting than turning eighteen, they couldn’t be more wrong.  To turn eighteen literally means to make the transition from adolescence to adulthood; to turn eighteen means to become an adult.  So many more options become available to you, but the most important of all is the right to vote.  You now have a say in how this country is run, both on the local and national levels.  To live in a democracy is a privilege and what makes it so wonderful is that we all (from age eighteen on) play a role in the solidarity, prosperity, and security of our country’s future.  It is essential to fully understand how important voting is, and what role you play as a first time voter.

I have encountered a number of people lately who are very disappointed with the state of our government and in particular, our president.  When I ask these same people if they are registered to vote, and if they take an active part in changing the political landscape, many of them answer no. They claim to have become so frustrated with politics in our country that they want to do everything they can do distance themselves from it.  Well, to me this makes very little sense. When we become more frustrated with our government, we should also become more involved in an attempt to change it. You can never really distance yourselves from politics. Politics is what gives us the right to free speech, and to live in this free country.  Politics determines how we live everyday. To remove yourself from that does not help change anything.  Now I know this may sound very subjective, but all I’m trying to say is unless you are happy with every law, regulation, restriction, and every form of governance in this country today, you should never miss a chance to vote.

Let’s take a look at the reasons why many teenagers and younger voters fail to vote.  Many teenagers simply don’t want to make the little effort it takes to register to vote, but this is a process that takes no more than an hour.  Peer pressure is also a major factor here, as many kids don’t want to be singled out by their friends for being the only one voting.  Of those 18-24 year olds who failed to vote in the last presidential election, 80% were unregistered (US Census Bureau).  Young people are the future of this country, and arguably the most important voters, yet they remain the least represented.  Almost 60% of people aged 18-24 are unregistered.  That number falls to 40% at ages 25-44, falls again to less than 30% at ages 45-64, and from those 65 and over the percentage that remain unregistered is only around 20%.

So, many teenagers say they will register but never do.  Registration is the main problem here, but there is a reason it takes a little effort to register and a little more to vote.  The reasons are simple. By weeding out those people who can’t make the simple effort, the government takes out those who are probably too apathetic to be involved in politics.  It eliminates those people who they believe aren’t educated enough to vote, but what makes this country so great is that every American adult citizen has the right to vote, and your one vote counts just as much as the President’s vote!  So don’t waste it! If you are unsure about political parties and important issues, get informed and then cast your vote! Knowledge is power, and you will exercise your power to make a difference in your country.