By Dalton Thomas
As the great legend Phil Collins once said, “I can feel it coming in the air tonight.” That’s right ladies and gentleman, the great topic in question is this upcoming presidential election. But maybe a bigger question is which voters are contributing to the eventual deciding factor of our country. Are the biggest contributors to our presidential election the old ladies with their cats stuck in the tree? Or is it the teenagers that won’t stop doing donuts in your cul-de-sac? Let’s do some digging and find out for ourselves.
The voter engagement for 18 to 25-year-olds has rapidly increased in the past two elections. In the 2016 presidential election, approximately 50% of young adults voted; and in the 2020 election the turnout for the same group was approximately 50-55%.
On the other end of the spectrum, voter engagement for senior citizens (60+) remained at a consistently high rate. In the 2016 election, the country saw 70-75% of senior citizens vote, and in the 2020 election, that statistic rose to 75-80%. It’s clear that the older population is very engaged with our political needs and changes.
Our young adults are increasing their voter engagement, specifically in the past two elections. It’s refreshing to know the younger generation is concerned and involved in the future of our country. Everybody has an opinion and a voice that deserves to be heard. It’s common to think that a single vote is meaningless, and that there is no possible way for one person to make a difference. But, one vote can always make a difference.
In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected President by one vote in the House of Representatives after a tie in the Electoral College. In 1846, President Polk’s request for a Declaration of War against Mexico passed by one vote. In 1868, President Andrew Johnson was impeached, but he wasn’t convicted because the Senate was one vote shy of the necessary two-thirds requirement.
These are only a few examples where one vote made the difference in the final decision. Let’s do our part as the up-and-coming generation, and have a voice in the direction our country is going. Get out and vote!
