Perhaps the youngest voters in our democracy are beginning to see that they can effect change. The midterm elections saw historic turnout among this voting bloc ranging in age from 18 to 29. Generation Z and millennials, as the youth like to say, “turned up.” The political party that zooms in on the Zoomers and millennials will likely be the one that leads this country for the foreseeable future.
They see what is happening in a country with a violence epidemic: In 2020, there were more than 45,000 firearm-related deaths in the United States. Members of younger generations are dying in unimaginable numbers. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that homicide is the leading cause of death for Black males in their 20s. Suicide also is a leading cause of death among the young.
And the governmental focus on student debt has certainly gotten the attention of Gen Z and millennials, particularly those who are college graduates, who by the way are more likely to vote.
Then there is abortion. The average age of first-time mothers is 26, according to the CDC. Perhaps the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade persuaded this age group to come out and vote in the midterms.
Whatever the motivation, hopefully this trend will continue. A healthy democracy requires participation by its citizenry. Even in presidential elections, less than 65% of Americans generally turn out to vote. In midterm elections, those numbers decrease considerably — often to less than 50%.
Much has been written about the plight of our democracy. The status quo became a target on Jan. 6, 2021, when insurrectionists breached the U.S. Capitol.
Our youths have been watching, listening and paying attention. Political pundits have underestimated our youths and their concern for our nation and democracy, so have we. We parents and educators assume they’re more concerned with partying and thinking only of the moment.
We of the older generations often find fault with social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. We loathe the fact that our youth spend an inordinate amount of time on them, often at the expense of face-to-face communication and development of personal relationships. On the other hand, social media platforms provide information to our youths, including what’s happening in politics. Apparently, our youths have been paying attention and realize their vote matters.
Now, the challenge is convincing many others to participate in our democracy. Certainly, a 30% participation rate is reasonable for this age group compared with that of prior years. However, in absolute terms, that is still a dismal number. Whatever party seizes this moment will have the upper hand in upcoming elections. The Democrats certainly landed the first blow. The position they hold on many issues resonates with many millennials and Gen Zers.
One good thing is that our faith has been restored. During his victory speech in 2008 after winning the presidency, Barack Obama said, “We proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.” Our youths have given us hope, at least in the short term, that our democracy is alive and well.
Both political parties talk about caring for the future generations. Is that only lip service? Do they truly care? Through their vote, our youths will determine who they believe more. The fact that they care enough to participate is not only inspiring, but it also means the future of our nation may be in good hands. The challenges that our nation will face in the future are real and unrelenting: wars, terrorism, natural disasters and diseases we don’t understand.
Only through engaging in constructive dialogue, exchanging ideas and putting our nation first will we triumph over these obstacles. When our youths vote, they show that they are putting our nation first and that they care.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Jerald McNair is a school administrator at South Holland School District 151 in Illinois.
