Photo by Santi Leon Torres

For many Americans, the date November 4th is cognitively recognized as Election Day. All across the country, good-natured folk go to their designated polling place, where they cast their ballots on who they believe best fit to run our country. Unfortunately, the idea of democracy can be lost amongst young adult voters, but it isn’t necessarily our fault. A misconception that many people have is that their vote doesn’t matter — why go through the hassle that the American government has purposefully set up to be a tedious challenge? Using our vote allows us to intentionally express our values and beliefs. Through voting, our generation can be the political change in which many young Americans hope for. As young voters, the best justice we can do for our country is research. The media works as a mill, constantly pumping out new information by the second. It is our job to filter through the bias and become properly informed on the candidates who will be possibly running our country. Obtaining our ‘facts’ from social media influencers subconsciously alters our opinion to favor theirs. It is important to find reliable, trustworthy sources that allow us to form our own judgments. Unfortunately, biased media is not the only hurdle we face. It isn’t an outlandish statement to say that many people in power don’t want to hear young people’s voices, and if they were able to decide, we wouldn’t be able to vote. This exact reason is why we need to put in the work and make it to our designated polling place to have our voices heard. The right to vote is relatively new to many of us: it wasn’t until 1920 that women were allowed to cast their ballot. Throughout history, the only opinions that mattered were those of white, wealthy men. Now we have the chance to impact the world around us, and we must take it. It’s important to be aware of the kinds of obstacles the government sets on us so we can be aware enough to avoid falling into the trap. Be aware of the obvious numerical difference in polling locations in marginalized communities compared to those of wealthy, white communities. Be aware of the complications that can occur while registering to vote. Be aware that many absentee ballots get unaccounted for. Furthermore, while it may seem easier to vote straight ticket, it can be harmful if we aren’t well informed on the other candidates. At the end of the day, young voters need to recognize that what is good does not come easy, we must put in the work to see the change. We have more impact than we think.