Keeping Up With the Politicians: the Importance of Youth Participation in the 2016 Election

Donald Trump holds his signed pledge of loyalty to the republican party at the Republican National Convention. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign rally during her second time running for president, her first being in 2008.
Donald Trump holds his signed pledge of loyalty to the Republican Party at the Republican National Convention. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign rally during her second time running for president, her first being in 2008.

On Jan. 14 and 17, Republican and Democratic Primary debates were held in South Carolina.  These debates were especially important because they were some of the last debates held before the first votes of the 2016 election.

The USA Today’s 2016 Presidential Poll, which was updated after the debates, showed Donald Trump leading the republican polls with 34.5%, followed by Ted Cruz at 19.3%. For democrats, Hillary Clinton is polling in at 51.2% with Bernie Sanders following at 38.0%.

In a study done by the CIRCLE organization (Center For Information And Research On Civic Learning And Engagement), only 19.9% of young people who are eligible to vote actually cast a ballot in the 2014 midterm elections, and some young people are not even registered to vote. While numbers do go up during presidential elections, it is vital to continue to vote every election.

Even if some students will not be eligible to vote in the 2016 election, keeping up with each political debate is important, whether or not they are old enough to vote.

“Millennials are a huge part of the population. If we all voted, then we could actually make a difference in our own future,” said senior Katie Landsbaum, “It’s important to keep up with the elections [regardless of whether you can vote] because it’s our future at stake. We need to vote to keep our futures safe.”

Researching the candidates, and watching the debates can help people understand their ideals and aide the voter in making an informed decision about who to cast their ballot for. Thinking about which issues are most important can help in choosing a candidate.

For instance, democratic candidate Bernie Sanders is adamant about making tuition free for public colleges and universities. “Higher education should be a right, because that is what makes our country stronger,” said Sanders, in an interview with the Huffington Post.

Democratic candidates Clinton, Sanders, and Martin O’Malley spoke at the debate, which focused on topics such as the Affordable Care Act, gun laws, and foreign policy. Republican candidates Cruz and Trump focused on gun control and the economy.

“I think we need to hear more about what the candidates will do about race issues and the minority disadvantages,” said Landsbaum, “If we all get up and actually vote we can truly make a difference.”

Organizations have been put in place, such as Rock the Vote, which keeps people updated about registering to vote, candidate information, and political events near them to motivate young people to get involved.

“It’s frustrating when people complain about politics when they are doing nothing to help change it. If you can vote, then do it. Participate in democracy and do not just let older voters decide our futures when we can be voting as well,” said Landsbaum.

While Landsbaum may be old enough to vote by November, many students at North will not be. However, keeping up with the campaigns by watching the news, looking at the polls, and learning about the main issues that are being discussed at the debates and staying well-informed is important.

While the democratic party had its last debate before voting begins, there is one more GOP debate, which is to air on Jan. 28.

By Lauren Sparks, Social Media Mogul; Editor-in-Chief