This week is High School Voter Registration Week and many seniors who are eager to start becoming more involved in political issues will register to vote, if they haven’t already. However, according to The Civics Center’s June 2022 Research Report, while “66% of registered youth turned out to vote,” not even half of youth from ages 18 to 24 were registered, “resulting in an overall youth citizen turnout rate of just 32%.” This is concerning because many upperclassmen are reaching adulthood which demands a great deal of new responsibilities.

If young voters choose to not even register, let alone vote, they are leaving possibly life-altering decisions to other voters that may not consider their needs or perspectives. The purpose of voting is to provide input that will allow the establishment of laws and policies that benefit the population as a whole. Without input from a large portion of the youth population, youths and future generations will have to carry the burden of inconvenient or harmful policies.

With this in mind, if you will be turning 18 soon or have already reached 18 you should go to The Civics Center website and register to vote. If you will not be turning 18 soon, you can still visit The Civics Center’s website to pledge to register to vote if you are 15 to 17 years old. If you pledge to register, The Civics Center will send you a text on your 18^th birthday to remind you and help you to register. Also, you can sign up for election reminders through The Civics Center website so that you never forget to get involved and stay involved.