Every election year, the importance of getting young adults to vote becomes a central issue of each candidate’s campaign. As ballots were collected throughout the country from a record 126 million voters in the last election, researches estimated nearly 47 percent were considered “young voters.”
Falling between the ages of 18 and 24, these young voters capture the college demographic. Experts say this number should be even higher, but are at a loss as to the exact reason why teens and some adults fail to make it to the polls on Nov. 4.
To put it in a different perspective, in the last election there were 201,541,000 eligible voters. Of those two hundred million only 122,265,430 (roughly 60 percent) hit the polls.
Some studies say a lack of interest is the main reason America’s youth fails to vote. The second most popular reason is the fact that many students find politics too complicated. Specifically among college students, the number one reason for not voting is failing to apply for an absentee ballot or re-registering in their new location.
As for what John McCain and Barack Obama can do to “rock the vote” and get the young voters’ attention is at the top of the list. In 2004, only eight percent of candidate’s identified America’s youth as the most influential voting class. Talk about inspiring us to get out and make a difference.
Whether it be a lack of interest and understanding or just flat out laziness, college students continue to disappoint when it comes to helping decide America’s next president.
However, since the country’s last election, the number of college students registered to vote has increased. In a poll by Higher Ed.com, 77 percent of students currently enrolled in a university are registered to vote. The question is, how many will actually venture out to the polls in two months?
So what can you do to ensure your vote is counted in the upcoming election?
If you’re from Texas you really don’t have an excuse as you have probably already registered. And if you haven’t, get off the couch. If you need an absentee ballot from Texas, requests are due by Oct. 28, and votes must be received by poll closing times.
If you’re from another state, the process requires you to be slightly more involved, but all you really have to do is fill out a piece of paper. Just mail it to your respective state and then wait for your ballot in the mail.
If you are from California and voting absentee, the deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is Oct. 28. Actual ballots are due by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4. For Florida residents, application requests must be submitted by Oct. 29, and votes must be mailed in by 7 p.m. on election day. For all other states, requests are due between Oct. 27 and election day, while actual ballots must be mailed in by the time all polls in the state have closed.
For specific states and their assigned dates, visit longdistancevoter.org.
If snail mail isn’t your thing, then your second option is to register to vote in the state of Texas. To do this visit the Mane Desk in the Hughes Trigg Student Center and ask for a voter registration card. All you need is to be a legal U.S. citizen, 18-years-old, clear of any felonies and not be declared mentally incompetent by a federal judge. If you meet those criteria, you’re set to vote. The deadline to register is Nov. 3.
For more information regarding registering to vote, information about the candidates and the latest news about the election, visit www.presidentialelection.com.
