Prepare to Vote, Again and Again
A post about youth voter engagement in advance of the 2024 Presidential Elections by Penelope Eull, Agency of Assets 2023 Youth Fellow.
Penelope Eull is a senior at Da Vinci Communications High School in El Segundo, California.
Penelope Eull is a senior at Da Vinci Communications High School in El Segundo, California.
In junior year of my U.S. History class, we were doing a debate using different prompts. One of the prompts was: “The voting age should be lowered to 16.” I immediately circled “yes” on my paper. A wider range of voters is more inclusive. Youth do not get many opportunities to have a say about their government, or to advocate for what they believe in.
To my surprise, the rest of the class voted “no” on this prompt. I wondered why. Shouldn’t we have the right to vote at a younger age and be involved in the outcome of our government? Younger individuals are starting to take a stand for what they believe in and to be recognized, so why did everyone vote “no?”
Since middle school and presently in high school, I have been part of a Youth and Government program. This program has brought some of the best experiences of my life. I learned about such things as the structures and functions of the government, how to debate, how to run for a position in our middle school’s Model United Nation’s program, how to create proposals, how to advocate for what I believe in, and the election of youth candidates to Model Legislature and Court positions. We took politics seriously. I took politics seriously. We learned so much.
To my surprise, the rest of the class voted “no” on this prompt. I wondered why. Shouldn’t we have the right to vote at a younger age and be involved in the outcome of our government? Younger individuals are starting to take a stand for what they believe in and to be recognized, so why did everyone vote “no?”
Since middle school and presently in high school, I have been part of a Youth and Government program. This program has brought some of the best experiences of my life. I learned about such things as the structures and functions of the government, how to debate, how to run for a position in our middle school’s Model United Nation’s program, how to create proposals, how to advocate for what I believe in, and the election of youth candidates to Model Legislature and Court positions. We took politics seriously. I took politics seriously. We learned so much.
Penelope Eull and fellow delegates Zarina and Kaylee holding the Politics are for the Youth flag before opening session at the 2023 Model Legislature and Court Conference.
Penelope signs the constitution created by the Constitutional Convention program area in February 2023. She created and debated the proposal, “All individuals shall have equal access to public services and equal employment pay regardless of disability,” which became an amendment on The Constitution.
Penelope and fellow delegate Nicole in front of the California State Capitol in Sacramento for the 2023 Model Legislature and Court Conference.
Penelope and fellow delegates Ellaina, Taeyi, and Noah after the last Constitutional Convention session on February 13, 2023. Each delegate from the program area signed The Constitution.
“I believe we’re too immature to vote.”
- Anonymous classmate
This classmate felt that younger individuals would not take voting seriously. Youth may think that their vote doesn’t count due to being pushed down by older generations and told that we are immature because of our age. However, many teenagers can make informed decisions. It’s not about immaturity; it’s about exposure.
According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, “50% of young people voted in the 2020 election which has so far been the highest turnout rate in decades.” This was the Presidential election. During this time, the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting many people across the nation. There was also much controversy around the election combined with media coverage and misinformation, which resulted in increased voter engagement. In 2020, youth made up the majority of the votes, while “in 2008, Baby Boomers and older generations (American adults born before 1964) made up 61% of the electorate; by 2020, they were only 44%.” (Time)
The 2018 midterm elections had the highest voter turnout for a national election since 1900. The youth voter turnout was 28%, whereas in 2014, it was just 13%. In 2022, youth voter turnout dropped to 23%, but these higher percentages of youth voters are starting to make a difference.
Voting can range depending on the types of elections. There are local elections, state elections, and national elections. For there to be more engagement among youth voters, they should be given the opportunity to vote at a young age. Some people may say that sixteen is too young of an age, but youth don’t need to start voting in large elections. They can start voting in smaller local elections. This impacts their community, gives them experience, and shows them that they can make a difference. Through experience, teens will mature and gain a better understanding of how the electoral process works and how their vote impacts their community. In theory, this would result in more participation and voter turnout.
The more people talk about important issues, the more people will be involved and engaged. Why not talk more about the power of voting with youth? The youth are the future. It is important for them to be involved and educated.
My Agency of Assets Fellowship is at the ICA LA, which will be a Vote Center for the 2024 Presidental Primaries in March and the General Presidential Election in November. ICA LA is a contemporary art museum but is also a center for community. As an assignment, I researched on youth voter engagement and made a list of resources for youth to prepare themselves for voting for upcoming and future elections.
Prepare to vote, again and again.
- Anonymous classmate
This classmate felt that younger individuals would not take voting seriously. Youth may think that their vote doesn’t count due to being pushed down by older generations and told that we are immature because of our age. However, many teenagers can make informed decisions. It’s not about immaturity; it’s about exposure.
According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, “50% of young people voted in the 2020 election which has so far been the highest turnout rate in decades.” This was the Presidential election. During this time, the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting many people across the nation. There was also much controversy around the election combined with media coverage and misinformation, which resulted in increased voter engagement. In 2020, youth made up the majority of the votes, while “in 2008, Baby Boomers and older generations (American adults born before 1964) made up 61% of the electorate; by 2020, they were only 44%.” (Time)
The 2018 midterm elections had the highest voter turnout for a national election since 1900. The youth voter turnout was 28%, whereas in 2014, it was just 13%. In 2022, youth voter turnout dropped to 23%, but these higher percentages of youth voters are starting to make a difference.
Voting can range depending on the types of elections. There are local elections, state elections, and national elections. For there to be more engagement among youth voters, they should be given the opportunity to vote at a young age. Some people may say that sixteen is too young of an age, but youth don’t need to start voting in large elections. They can start voting in smaller local elections. This impacts their community, gives them experience, and shows them that they can make a difference. Through experience, teens will mature and gain a better understanding of how the electoral process works and how their vote impacts their community. In theory, this would result in more participation and voter turnout.
The more people talk about important issues, the more people will be involved and engaged. Why not talk more about the power of voting with youth? The youth are the future. It is important for them to be involved and educated.
My Agency of Assets Fellowship is at the ICA LA, which will be a Vote Center for the 2024 Presidental Primaries in March and the General Presidential Election in November. ICA LA is a contemporary art museum but is also a center for community. As an assignment, I researched on youth voter engagement and made a list of resources for youth to prepare themselves for voting for upcoming and future elections.
Prepare to vote, again and again.