Elections can be fun and exciting. The rallies, the speeches, the balloons and the confetti are all what make election season feel so “special”. But ultimately, none of that matters. The only thing that matters, the thing that every campaign activity is geared towards, is voting.

For years, college students have ceded their right to be heard in America. Just look at 2008. In that year, there were 27.3 million potential voters between the ages of 18 and 24, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of that number, only 15 million even bothered to register to vote and an even more depressing 12.5 million voted. So right off the bat, college-age Americans lose more than half of their political power. It sounds even more insane when one considers the fact that an 18-year-old American will experience the ramifications of policy decisions made today for more than half a century. No other enfranchised generation will deal with the choices we make now for so long.

A vote is literally a message to elected representatives and their challengers about what one does or does not like about their positions and job performance. Politicians take what voters think very, very seriously. They want to hold office, and, for better or worse, are willing to do almost anything to be elected. This should tell voters that the more a constituency votes, the more likely they are to have their interests supported in Washington.

What politicians do not take seriously is a non-voter. And why should they? Such people are not helping them get elected. Why waste any energy campaigning and governing in the hope of receiving votes that do not exist?

Granted, the youth voting rate is getting better. In 2000, an election decided by a few hundred votes in Florida, only 32 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 20 bothered to vote.

Little wonder that Washington is taking the youth vote more seriously now that its participation has almost doubled since then. Since 2008, Congress passed national student loan reform and various high-level politicians, from both parties, have begun to adjust their views on social issues to better reflect the ones held by their younger constituents. Progress is being made.

But it is not enough. In this election, there are candidates who wish to change Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as we know it. Some politicians want to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Are these good ideas? No one can say for sure. But by abstaining from this election, too many young Americans are saying that they would rather have no say at all.

That is why at Emory, we, in conjunction with the Young Democrats, are proud to introduce Emory Votes. This organization provides Emory students with all of the tools and information necessary to register to vote and, if needed, apply for an absentee ballot. This includes stamps, envelopes and forms. One need only go to the Green Bean under Cannon Chapel between 12 and 2 pm to find the Emory Votes table.

The choice before students is simple. They can sit around, watch TV and complain about how no one listens and no one is doing anything to help, or they can actually do something themselves and take responsibility for both their lives and their community. Registering to vote and filling out a ballot is a good and easy place to start.

But time is running out. The election is only one month away and some states require their citizens register as early as a month before an election in order for them to take part. That gives some at Emory just under a week left.

So register and vote. As was said by the fictional Willie Stark, “If you don’t vote, you don’t matter.” Tell the politicians in Washington and in your home states that you do matter.

Former Editorials Editor James Sunshine is a College senior from Boca Raton, Fla.

Alex Nathanson is a College junior from Wayne, N.J. 

Gabriel Nahmais is a Masters Student in Political Science.

+ posts

The Emory Wheel was founded in 1919 and is currently the only independent, student-run newspaper of Emory University. The Wheel publishes weekly on Wednesdays during the academic year, except during University holidays and scheduled publication intermissions.

The Wheel is financially and editorially independent from the University. All of its content is generated by the Wheel’s more than 100 student staff members and contributing writers, and its printing costs are covered by profits from self-generated advertising sales.