Why the Election lies in youth voters’ hands

Environmental activist rally in mid-2019. PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN STANSALL | FOX7

By Elizabeth Bennett Editor

There is no denying that President Trump is a plague to our democracy and institutions. Oh and human lives. If you knew that Trump was going to take away your right to an abortion, would you vote? If you knew that Trump was going to strip away your right to remain on your parents’ healthcare longer, would you vote? We cannot let happen four more years of destruction of the Earth, protection of only the rich, and extinction of empathy and decency. “What Trump does now really affects the younger generations’ lives. 70+ year olds are not representing what we need.” With climate change becoming increasingly pressing and the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic still raging, this November election affects younger generations the most. In this election, millennial and Generation Z voters are roughly equal in size to the Baby Boomer and Pre-Baby Boomer generations, making up 37% of eligible voters. Pew Research Center highlights that eligible voters under 30 heavily favored Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump--with 58% and 28% of the vote respectively, but the turnout of this age was a mere 46.1% of eligible voters. Even though this is a slight increase from the 2012 election, the success of

the Democratic Party this November will largely fall to gain support from other racial groups and ages--and into the hands of young voters. Voters over 50 years they need to vote in elections. According to the Pew old--an age group that historically turns out in higher Research Center, the Democratic Party credits young numbers than any other age group-- considerably fa- voters for the majority of their support in the elections vor Trump. The 37% of Generation Z and millennials of 2004, 2006, and 2008. Just since 2004, voters unwho are eligible to vote must show up at the polls and der 30 have become 8 points more likely to identify practice what they preach if young people want to see with the Democrat ideology, with a 9 point decrease in a change in leadership. identification with Republican ideology. While young However, the crux of the issue lies in why the youth voters still remain essential to the Democratic Party, vote is so crucial in this election. Young voters are it is important to note how young voter participation increasingly disillusioned with the U.S. government. has decreased dramatically over time: in 1964, people Much of their life between the ages has been charac- of 18 and 24 made terized by divi- up 50.9% of the siveness on both voting bloc, while sides of the aisle, in 2012, they made with reconcili- up only 38%. ation seeming Further, minority nearly impossi- groups played an ble. Young BIPOC instrumental role (Black, Indige- in electing Barack nous, or People Obama to the presof Color) are liv- idency in 2008 and ing, first-hand, 2012. Biden is hopthe unfortunate ing that Black votand ugly truth ers will turn up at that our system the polls because does not work for of their unmatched everyone, leav- favor of Obama in ing BIPOC needs 2008, with 93% unattended. The of the Black vote. millions of young In the 2016 elecpeople who lack tion, the turnout sufficient health- of Black citizens care are left high decreased at a and dry. It’s no staggering 7.1% as surprise so many compared to just of us feel fatigued four years prior. and confused as In the wake of the to who our polit- “Thanks so much for coming to vote in person! Please, youth-organized ical system really step right up.” CARTOON COURTESY OF EMILY BERNSTEIN | FOX7 Black Lives Matter works for. As a col- movement and the lege student, I feel as though young people are disillu- blatant racism of the Trump administration, will the sioned with our political institutions for two primary Black voter turnout replicate what it was in 2008? This reasons: politicians have refused to meet them where election boasts a more diverse electorate than ever bethey are (which is typically further left than the estab- fore. The Black and Latinx voting bloc leans heavily in lishment would prefer), and politicians have contin- favor of the left, while the Asian American vote leans ued to remain elusive to the people they were elected slightly less so. With the increased number of young, to help, instead focusing on fundraising and political BIPOC voters, the votes of these communities are games. even more significant. To understand why young voters are so critical, it is The Black Lives Matter movement cannot be ignored important to look at voting trends. Historically, the when discussing BIPOC voting. According to the New turnout of eligible voters over 50 is much higher than York Times, while Black people hold a variety of politall younger age groups. Because older, mainly white ical opinions, they agree on one thing: racial equality. people tend to vote Republican, the opposition needs The Trump era has normalized the phrase “All Lives

8

Matter,” with many people refusing to admit the sim- Young voters do not want a candidate who is going ple fact that Black lives do matter. Comparatively, if to be mediocre and effect slight change--they want a house was burning, declaring “all houses matter” someone who is willing to work to create monumencompletely ignores that the burning house would need tal, lasting change. The problem is that the two-parracial equality. This came to a head when Trump failed Democrats are aiming to get moderate Republicans to vote for Biden, but this necessitates stances that cast ty system instills a deep divide, so it’s an “us versus “UC Berkeley is not pri- them” situation between two groups--picking a side is the only option. An interviewee who would like to reoritizing the civic enmain anonymous mentions that when a party is more moderate and enact half the change young voters want gagement of its students; to see, they will be frustrated and often not show up at the polls. I believe Cal needs to Another reason why politicians are not successfully arousing support from young people is because they stop dragging its heels believe that politicians are more focused on winning elections and fundraising than improving the lives of the people. Margaux voices her opinion on this matter: and advocate for the “The fact that congress people spend more time a day calling people for money (6-8 hours a day) instead ‘Free Speech’ they pride of legislating is ridiculous. Young people don’t have very deep pockets so it’s easy to feel like true change themselves for.” in institutions can be affected.” At the same time, the media and politicians hypocritically complain about more attention at that specific moment. With Presi- politics, leading young voters to feel as though their dent Trump clearly incapable of even uttering that voices don’t hold much power. Thus, young voices are phrase, many Black citizens are sure of the fact that less likely to be heard because the progressive, grassunder this presidency, they have no guarantee of safety roots candidates they do support often do not have the or wellbeing. This came to a head when Trump failed funds to continue very far into an election--with one to condemn white supremacy at the first presidential notable exception: Bernie Sanders, with over half of debate this year. In this election, we might see a voter his donations under $100. turnout that reflects Trump’s apparent disregard for On the other hand, young people feel blamed for the to condemn white supremacy at the first presidential debate this year. Notably, all this amounts to the grav- “The Trump era has normality of young, racial minorities showing up at the polls. One main reason why young people are cynical about the U.S. political system is because the moderacy of ized the phrase “All Lives Mat ter,” with many people refusthe candidates is unappealing to them. One Cal sophomore’s frustration with the Democratic establishment ing to admit the simple fact is clear: “We [the Democrats] want young people to be political, but only in a specific way.” In this election, that Black lives do matter.” corporate contributions and big money donors in a wide net. While a Biden win will rely heavily on the trajectory of United States’ politics. Both of the inyouth vote, many are discontent with the campaign’s terviewees are angry with how the blame has been insistence on catering to the moderate vote instead. distributed. They are blamed for not being educated Many young voters--like Margaux, a freshman at Cal- enough and not electing a more progressive candidate. -are willing to get involved in campaigns and are pas- Margaux explains how the blame is misplaced because sionate about the work being done on climate change, compulsory education does not teach enough about the expansion of healthcare, and women’s rights, to the importance of civic responsibility and different poname a few. Even so, when their options are to vote for litical issues. Moreover, at most schools, humanities the Republican candidate or the moderate Democrat, classes are not required, thus yielding a populace that frustrations arise. Many young progressives stand far is not uniformly informed about the importance of a more to the left than the liberals of older generations. strong civil society. Margaux justifies her opinion by

saying, “If part of compulsory education involves creating informed, functioning members of society, civics classes must be included in education.” This opinion is not rare--many people think that politics needs to be integrated into primary and secondary education, producing civic-minded people from a young age. November 3, Election Day, is treated as just another day of the year, with school and work continuing like business as usual. The fact that Election Day is not a noninstructional holiday is a fundamental issue that is inextricably linked to low voter turnout among students. “Students shouldn’t have to choose between participating in their class or participating in the most important election of our lives,” Elizabeth Grubb, Cal Democrats’ president remarks. Elizabeth has been working with ASUC Vote Coalition to make Election Day a noninstructional holiday in the UC system. The pandemic has displaced a number of students, who now found themselves in living arrangements they did not foresee. There will also undoubtedly be longer wait times at the polls given public health standards-but students often have very limited time between classes during a school day. At UC Berkeley, students only have 10 minutes before a required class, and they may leave the line out of fear of their grades suffering. Elizabeth is fervently fighting for the UC system to listen to students’ needs. It seems hypocritical that Cal prides itself on being a politically active campus, but won’t listen to students that desperately want to vote and cannot because of a class conflict. UC Berkeley is not prioritizing the civic engagement of its students; I believe Cal needs to stop dragging its heels and advocate for the “Free Speech” they pride themselves for. Simply put, the current state of affairs amounts to fatigue, confusion, and dissatisfaction. Young people have witnessed the government ignore the needs and cast out the marginalized American citizens that often are the essential workers upon which the United States is built. During the pandemic, this has become the center of attention--essential workers are often the lowest paid, least likely to have sufficient health care, and most susceptible to the wrath of diseases and economic downturns. Notably, agriculture workers, mail deliverers, and grocery workers are more likely to be people of color. People have been praising essential workers for their invaluable work, but the government fails to provide them with essential tools necessary to live a healthy life. Social media will have an immeasurable impact on this election.Young people are mobilizing like never before through Instagram and Tik Tok, speaking out against racism and classism. They’re stressing the importance of registering to vote and making informed decisions. Every single day, I see at least 20 posts about checking registration or advocating for an issue--granted, most of my social circles are politically active, Berkeley students. Whether that form of political action will yield

“Young voters do not want a candidate who is going to be mediocre and effect slight change--they want someone who is willing to work to create monumental, lasting change.”

more votes, we will see this November. Of the young eligible voters, most have lived through 9/11 and anti-Islam sentiment, the election of Barack Obama and the outward racism that this country fails to deal with, and the ever more divisive Trump era with its lack of respect for U.S. political institutions. With this as their perspective on American politics, the young voter bloc will have to look beyond all the negativity and see political participation as obligatory. This political system does not work for everyone. Plain and simple. We see that in voter suppression. We see that with the number of females and minorities in government positions. When discussing women in positions of power, one interviewee said that “the entirety of women’s rights depend on whether Mitch McConnell is going to feel nice enough to not replace RBG...it’s ridiculous.” We see the political system fail when lower-income folks refuse to go to the hospital because they can’t afford the astronomical costs of healthcare. Young people are seeing this and thinking, how could my vote make any lasting, positive impact? A new administration will just come into office and repeal the work the previous president achieved. Then they don’t vote. And the cycle repeats itself. This election must be different. It is understandable that young people are fatigued with the push and pull of politics; however, if they want to see any positive change, the youth must vote. This election will shape the future of our Earth’s ability to inhabit 8 billion people, the response to COVID going forth, and the racism that invades our schools, workplaces, and prisons. Now is not the time to be apathetic, because human lives are at stake. Four more years with Donald Trump--who knows what could happen.