Employing youth perspectives encourages future participation

Young voters notoriously underestimate the impact of their voices.

According to the Washington Post in 2018, 36% of eligible voters between the ages of 18-29 voted in the midterm election. While this number may seem low, it marked a 16-point increase for this age group from the 2014 midterm election. We must keep this momentum for the 2022 midterms.

Nearly all societal issues affect youth, but some have a greater impact on 18-29 year olds than other age groups, including education, environment, housing, and foreign policy. When young people participate in civic life, such as educating themselves on issues in their communities and voting, they provide valuable perspectives and play an active role in shaping their future. If young people do not participate or are excluded from participation, our democracy fails to truly represent the needs of the people and falters as a result. Furthermore, research consistently illustrates that youth civic participation is beneficial to the social-emotional well-being and academic performance of young people. Empowering youth perspectives makes them feel important, encourages their future participation, and employs them to create change. Promoting youth civic engagement is crucial to promoting an equitable and just society. Young people need to be encouraged to get involved civically and politically for the benefit of themselves and our democracy.

Erin Heaton, Missoula