During the 2014 midterm election, millennials made up 53 percent of registered voters but still cast 21 million fewer votes than the Baby Boomers and Silent Generation, according to USA Today. The 2018 midterm election on Nov. 6 marked a pivotal point for young voters: 31 percent of eligible millennials voted in 2018, 10 percent higher than in 2014, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. This year, several Walpole High seniors had the opportunity to vote for the first time.
“I felt super proud after I handed in my ballot and got that sticker. I did my civic duty,” senior Ava Straccia said. “It's super important that we step up and vote because we are the future, and our voices should be heard. If we have the power to make our opinions known, we should definitely do it.”
Recently, organizations have been pushing for young people to register and vote because of the issues that will affect them in coming years. On National Voter Registration Day (Sept. 25), students in Jamie O’Leary’s International Relations classes spread the importance of voting to others. Her Period 1 class created posters with ballot information that were put up in the hallways, and her Period 8 class encouraged students to register during lunch.
“Doing a voter registration drive and informing others of the ballot questions, even if it’s on a small scale, sells the idea that it can be really easy to be politically involved. You can have a big influence on somebody from just spending a few minutes and doing very little work on your end,” O’Leary said. “Even though the majority of the school can’t vote, I think it’s really important to remind everyone that they do have a political voice.”
Encouraging people to vote extends outside of Massachusetts as well: after remaining politically silent for the majority of her career, singer Taylor Swift made an Instagram post to her 112 million, primarily young, followers and encouraged them to register and vote. In the post, she endorsed her support for Democratic politicians Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper in the primarily Republican state of Tennessee. The post garnered over 2.1 million likes, and the registration website linked in the post—vote.org—reported 65,000 new registrations in the 24 hours after it was posted, according to the New York Post. Swift also encouraged her followers to post after voting for the chance to be featured on her Instagram story.
“I think the increase of encouragement online is incredible and has had a huge impact,” senior Griffin Wilkins said. “Personally for me, it gave me information on the people running for office in Massachusetts. Since we are always on our phones, it is so effective that we are always seeing these messages, and young people are way more likely to vote if they know their favorite celebrity is voting as well.”
Additionally, websites like Facebook have encouraged users to vote through linking registration websites and encouraging users to share that they have voted or registered. Spotify also curated a state-specific playlist entitled “Get vocal, Massachusetts!” for listeners “take to the polls” and included a link to inform voters of their polling location.
“I think that politics’ online presence has had a positive change,” O’Leary said. “The Massachusetts Secretary of State has really actively tried to get online voting and online voter registration to be a tool that young people can utilize. Any time you make it easier for people to register, they’re a lot more likely to vote.”
Walpole’s senior class represents the newest generation of voters and political voices for the country. They comprise what is now the largest voting bloc, according to Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to engage young voters.
“I remember going with my mom when I was little, and finally being able to go was really cool. It made me feel like I was actually making a difference,” Wilkins said. “We will decide the future of our country. The world says no? Well, the kids do too, and finally we are at the age where we can let our voices be heard.”