A Problem Being Ignored
This election promises to be one of history’s most exciting. About 44 million 18-to-29-year-olds are eligible to vote, according to Rock the Vote. We represent more than one-fifth of the electorate, and the way we vote will decide the election. However, there’s more to voting than just checking the box next to some dude’s name.
For starters, you need to register. OK, I’m sure you knew that, but I had to say it, just in case. You have until Oct. 10. You can register at the Payne County Election Board in the County Administration Building at 315 W. Sixth St. You can also pick up forms at U.S. Postal Offices, libraries and other government agencies, or download a form at www.ok.gov/~elections/voterreg.html and send it in.
Political parties and favorite candidates aside, no one wants an uneducated voter casting ballots. Chances are your friends have talked about for whom they’ll vote, and your parents and grandparents talk more about politics than they do about this Friday’s early bird special at the local diner. You, on the other hand, aren’t so sure which candidate is for you, and you know less about politics than you know about what’s in that burrito you bought at Twenty Something. As young adults, we’re impressionable. Our voting habits shouldn’t necessarily follow those of our family and friends, though.
Lucky for you we live in a voter-friendly age. This is my first presidential election, and I want to make sure I vote for the candidate who shares similar views on the issues I care about. Both candidates have Web sites. I brought up both pages side-by-side, and read through the issues one at a time. I found the similarities and differences in the candidates’ positions and then decided which one I agreed with the most. I also used YouTube to watch previous speeches and debates so I can get a feel for whom the candidate is as a person. I watched the speeches from both party conventions online as well. You can do the same, and pick the candidate you like best.
Along the same lines, candidate-bashing has become an unfortunate part of elections. By staying informed, you can decide for yourself what is true and what is false.
Fifty-five days of campaigning stand between either Barack Obama or John McCain and the U.S. presidency. They will work to win the votes of millions of Americans. Rock the Vote’s Web site, www.rockthevote.com, said the younger generation’s votes nearly matched those of the coveted senior votes. With our voter participation at an all-time high, Obama and McCain are catering their respective campaigns to us. Now is not the time to be apathetic. Now is the time to help point the government in the direction we want it going. Let’s not forget the cliché phrase “We are the future,” because it’s true. This is our election. We shouldn’t be sitting it out.
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