No matter how much importance is placed on today’s election in the media, at least one demographic may show an underwhelming turnout today &- the college-aged sector of the population. According to recent reports, a large portion of young voters say they are disappointed with President Barack Obama and feel abandoned by his administration since their record-high turnout in his favor in the 2008 election.
These feelings of frustration will almost certainly lead to low turnouts among young voters in today’s election. Although low turnouts are not uncommon in midterm elections, it shows a great failure on the part of the Democrats that they have failed to capitalize on their success two years ago. In 2008, Obama mobilized the 18-to-29-year-old demographic like no presidential candidate before him. The fact that the Democrats could not do the same this time around shows the failure of the Obama administration to continue to connect with young voters throughout his presidency.
There is no excuse for not voting in the midterm elections, even if, or perhaps especially if, you are disillusioned with the current government. Disappointment with the Obama administration should not deter young people from voting, but rather encourage them to change what they think needs to be changed. Campaigns on both sides of the aisle should increase efforts to reach out to younger voters.
Additional poll data from an Oct. 31 Washington Post survey indicates that the Republican voter base is, predictably, far more energized than the Democratic base. The Post reported that of those who considered themselves unlikely voters, 59 percent said that if they were to vote they would support the Democrats. Failure to motivate their voting base to get to the polls may spell doom for the Democrats today.
It is easy to think that individual votes are insignificant. But considering turnout rates for the last presidential election were around 60 percent, all those individual votes that are not cast have the potential to entirely change the course of an election. In a nation with a population that is as educated as that of the U.S., there is no excuse for not voting.
However, not all of the blame for low turnouts can be blamed on individuals. If politicians consistently fail to live up to their promises, it is not surprising that people will not have motivation to get out to their voting place.
It may seem impossible to change the system when things are a constant swing back and forth between Democrats and Republicans and few long-term goals are ever accomplished amid a sea of partisan bickering. It is an inherent problem of the two party system that it seems as if it isn’t built for changing things in the long run. Regardless of this, the only way to change anything is to vote. So head to the polls today and make that change happen.
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