Should College Students Be Allowed To Vote Essay

The United States has come an incredibly long way in terms of voting rights. In the first stages of this great nation, only white men who owned property were allowed to vote. As time progressed, all men were granted suffrage, and eventually women were too. Now, all people eighteen and older have the right to vote. Despite having the power to engage in politics, the younger generation’s turnout continues to decline. A portion of the responsibility likely lies in the issues associated with college students and the challenges they face in casting their vote. Although many elements contribute to this low turnout, several can be improved, or even fixed. Since the voting age has been lowered to 18, the younger generation voting rates continue to go down, college students face many obstacles when it comes to voting, and several issues could be altered or changed in order to better fit the needs of young voters.
Before discussing the improvements that could be made, it is important to analyze why less young people vote than other

age groups. According to The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), since gaining suffrage in 1972, voting among ages 18-25 has declined by 15% (Levine 1). Jane Eisner claims the younger generation does not vote because politicians do not address matters of importance regarding to the generation, candidates try too hard to relate to the younger folk and lose sight of their policies in the process, and young people obtain faulty ideas about candidates due to over-trusting the media (Eisner 47, 52-53, 56-57). In regards to the subjects presented by politicians, most are aimed at older audiences-such as health care, social security, and public education- because candidates believe it is more difficult to pinpoint what the younger people care about, and they believe young adults will not vote (Eisner 47-48). This is a self-fulfilling prophecy. College age students are going to be more passionate about issues related to the age group, such as free college tuition. In many cases, the audience targeted in campaigns do not typically include people who do not have families or are not senior citizens. Due to this exclusion, many younger people do not feel as if voting will benefit anyone in their age group, because it most likely will not at the time, so they do not vote. On the other hand, when politicians do attempt to reach out to younger people, they often come across as insincere (Eisner 56-57). Unfortunately, through many endeavors to relate to young people, the politician will quit taking the matter seriously in order to try to connect with the younger crowd in a social aspect. This also brings about the misinterpretation of candidates due to the media. Several people rely solely on the media in order to get political information, and have never engaged in learning more about politics and candidates through activities such as meeting politicians or going to see speakers live (Eisner 52-53). This creates a huge issue because the younger generation is then primarily fed gossip about political representatives as opposed to their actual ideas, beliefs, and policies. This media consumption can then create a biased point of view against all candidates, and may discourage a person from voting at all. These are just a few key points introducing why younger people do not have as many active voters compared to other age groups.
Another reason why the younger age group has a lower turnout is because of the many difficulties associated with voting as a college student. When students attend college, they often move to another town, or even a different state. Then, when election time rolls around, students must either return home to vote if possible, or attempt to cast an absentee vote, which has proved to be difficult and time consuming. Seven states enforce first time voters to be in their state when voting (Eisner 58). This is unfortunate because it eliminates absentee voting altogether for students from these states who go to college immediately following high school. They will be unable to vote unless they have the means to go home and vote in person on the day of the election, which is highly unlikely, given the schedule and financial situation of most college students. While other states allow absentee voting for first time voters, many have rather specific policies in order to do so. Eisner uses Pennsylvania as an example, where one must file absentee by mailing in a form, receiving the ballot through the mail to cast their vote, and returning the ballot in time for it to be considered (Eisner 58). In Oklahoma, anyone may apply for absentee voting, either online or by mail, but when casting the vote, they must do so in the presence of a notary (Absentee 1). Both methods have their faults. First, this generation is one of the digital age: it is much more likely for a student to participate in virtually anything if they have the opportunity to do so digitally. Oklahoma does provide the option of applying online, but other states, such as Pennsylvania, do not. The states that do not provide online applications create a hindrance for this age group, as the younger people have been raised on technology, and find an online option much more convenient in regards to the busy lifestyle of a college student. While providing an online option for applying makes things easier, requiring the presence of a notary when voting does not. Not only is it difficult to find the time to get to a notary to cast your vote, but it can become quite expensive. College students are typically swarmed in debt, and need to save every penny they can. As discussed earlier, since most issues do not typically involve them directly, why waste the money casting a vote that does not affect them? In general, it is more difficult for college students to vote due to the challenges that arise from being able to vote only in their hometown (regardless of location) or attempting to vote absentee.
After discussing various reasons young voters do not typically participate, it is essential to analyze ways to improve the situation. One major component lies with politicians: it is important, if not essential, to include the future generation of America in today’s political decisions, be it local, statewide, or national. An excellent method is to include topics that encompass all age groups, not just the middle aged and older. Bernie Sanders, while in the running for President 2016, did a superb job of incorporating plans that directly affected a variety of age groups. He appealed to everyone through his “Universal Single-Payer Health Care Program”, which included separating health insurance from businesses and taking away copays and deductibles by integrating all health care under one provider, the government (Medicare 1). Sanders not only included everyone in this program, but also created a powerful proposal that would truly make a difference in the lives of all Americans. Families could afford to take their kids to the doctor, senior citizens could more easily pay for necessary medications, and anyone could choose/change careers without being forced to do a tradeoff of decent health care or decent salary. Additionally, he targeted young people specifically through his “College for All Act”, implementing free college tuition for everyone (through 67% government funding and 33% state funding) and reducing the interest rates of federal student loans (Summary 1). This proposal created a very healthy relationship between the younger voters and Sanders. Whether having just started college, or having graduated within the last ten years, young adults would be affected by this (due to free tuition or altering loan interest rates), thus directly included in Sanders’ overall campaign. It is evident that the young people took notice of this inclusion through the primaries’ voting statistics. According to CIRCLE’s “Youth Voting in the 2016 Primaries” analysis, “the percentage of young people (ages 17-29) eligible voters who cast a ballot in 2016 was equal to or greater than in 2008” (CIRCLE 1). The Washington Post states that Sanders had over 2 million youth votes, while Trump and Clinton combined had less than 1.6 million (Blake 1). Because Sanders included all age groups in an honest, sincere way, many younger voters found his policies to be very fulfilling. Aside from candidate inclusion, more college aged youth would participate in elections if they had better access to absentee voting. If all states had an online process for absentee voting, more individuals in general would have easier access to voting absentee. Almost everyone in the U.S. can get access to the internet, whether through their own computers, or a public library. It would also be a faster process if one could apply and vote online. This generation has been raised with technology, and it would be wise to appeal to them in this aspect, especially considering several age groups now actively use technology, specifically computers and smartphones. By making absentee voting more accessible to everyone, many more people would likely cast a vote if they could not do so on election day. One last way to increase youth voting would be for the youth to actively participate. It is not enough to rely on social media to get political information. It is absolutely crucial that this generation takes a more active role; watching debates, campaign speeches, and party conventions, attending local (and national, when possible) speeches and visits from political leaders, and reading up on trusted, official websites about the candidate’s beliefs and policies. While no one can force younger people to get involved, it would greatly encourage them to make more (and more educated) political decisions. These are just a few ways to help initiate an increase in youth voting.
Although youth voting rates are increasing as of 2016, they are still significantly low, and there is much that can be done about it.

Young people do not have as many active voters as other age groups because candidates tend to exclude the generation, come across as insincere if they do attempt to connect with the age group, and due to media abuse. For college students specifically, absentee voting is usually the best way for them to vote, but proves to be quite a struggle. In light of these issues, several improvements can be made. While young adults do need to become more civically engaged, candidates need to encompass all age groups in honest ways that reflect their policies and beliefs. Absentee voting needs to be a simpler, more modern process in order to allow more people, specifically college students, to vote. By addressing these few, but crucial issues, youth voting rates would likely continue to increase over the next several

years.