There is no other way to put it, Oswego State students need to vote.
I know, everyone tells young Americans to vote and honestly, most of the reasons are tired. Appealing to civic duty, patriotism and remembering the sacrifice of those that came before simply is not convincing students to vote at Oswego State. And I mean Oswego State specifically, not just the vague American student or “youth today” like some old fogey.
According to a report by the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement, voting rates among Oswego State students in the 2016 election were well below the average for the over 1,000 academic institutions in the study.
Despite a voter registration rate matching the study’s average for college students by the 2016 election, about 75%, only 54.6% of those registered voters cast a vote, compared to the study’s average of about 68% registered voter rate. Looking at the overall voter rate, which compares votes cast against all eligible voters instead of just those that are registered, only 41.8% of Oswego State students over age 18 voted in the 2016 election. The total voting rate for the 2016 presidential election was estimated around 58%.
It can be easy to tell yourself your vote will not matter, but that was never the point. A single vote has almost never mattered in an election, but dutifully voting is not supposed to be a heroic act. Political ideas represent countless individual stories joining together into a movement. Everyone has personal stories and experiences that inform their voice, engaging in politics is letting that voice join a chorus rather than expecting a solo. Instead, 58% of Oswego State students decided to stay silent in 2016.
Voting is the only way you can ensure your voice is heard. No doubt, this can be seen by how hard citizens have had to fight to be counted. The Constitution was ratified in 1788, but poor white men were not included in the voting process until the mid-1800s. Before then, only the landowners and wealthy elite could vote. Black men were only included after the 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870. Even then, a history of black voter suppression followed. Women gained suffrage with the 19th Amendment, ratified just under a hundred years ago in 1920. Teenagers could not vote until the registration age was lowered to 18 after the 26th Amendment was ratified in 1971. If you are under 21, a woman, or anything but a rich white man, the original plan was not to include you in the voting process. Most students gained the right to vote relatively recently in the history of this country, so why are so many willing to exclude themselves?
To be honest, politics are unexpected these days. Votes that seem like foregone conclusions are surprising experts because the common wisdom of who votes and why is changing. Now more than ever, there is no wasted vote. Norms are getting shattered because they no longer resemble reality. Previously disenfranchised voters are turning up, except for Oswego State.
Historically, politicians have been able to ignore young voters because they do not vote. Promising to help students earned them nothing, while their opponents won by appealing to older Americans. Money in politics is a definite concern, but the difference is that money cannot directly buy votes. No amount of campaign donations can change a determined voter’s mind. If it feels like money talks, if it feels like nobody cares about youth problems, if it feels like everybody lies, then vote. Look closer, there are politicians that are taking a risk by appealing to groups that rarely voted. Groups of voters like the youthful, those that care about big money in government and who run on honesty. If that is the most important thing to you, nothing can stop you from voting for them but you.
Graphic by Patrick Higgins | The Oswegonian
