The Voting Decline in Today's Youth

by Anthony DiFonte Today’s youth has come with a decline in voter registration. As young voters go off to college the decline is only getting greater. Watertown, Massachusetts is a small town outside of Boston. According to voting officials there are not many young voters that are even registered. Voters do not seem to be seeking absentee ballots, and college students usually are not home to make the actual voting times. College students and other young voters are focused on other things such as school or extra circular activities according to surveys done all throughout the country. Living at school is a big commitment that requires a lot of time and effort to be focused on school. Commuters have an easier time voting because they are still living at home, and have a easier chance to be involved in their town or state elections. Other students that live at school might be in a different state and getting an absentee ballot may not work out for them. John Flynn is a town official in Watertown who is in charge of voter registration. “There has been a gradual decrease in absentee ballots,” Flynn said. “It becomes something that is put to the side as young voters go off to college”. When asked about the number of absentee ballots Flynn said,”I do not have a specific number but i know for sure that it varies. There is sometimes a big group of younger voters that get involved, whereas there are times when there are very few voters that get involved”. He believes more young people are starting to register to vote, following the number of registrations in that age group. “My own opinion is that some young people want to be involved in voting and others just do not seem to have an interest. It usually is not consistent,” Flynn said. Some people register when they get their drivers license. This was the case for Cesar Fulcar, 18, now a freshman at Wentworth Institute of Technology studying engineering. “I figured since I am commuting I am still living in Watertown and should be involved since it affects me. I am not into politics too much, but I will vote so I will be able to put my opinion in. My older brother got me involved with the registration process around the same time I got my license, it was a back to back type thing,” Fulcar said. Fulcar will be voting at home and will not need the absentee ballot in order to vote. Others just simply never registered. This is the case for Adam Albano, 19, and Nick Soares, 18. Both said they have little to no interest in politics and have not registered because they do not want to be involved. “My parents have been telling me to but I just have not got around to it yet. Since I am at Southern New Hampshire University they are not saying much about it anymore, especially since I have only been home once all year for a weekend,” Albano said. Albano and Soares are not the only ones who will not register to vote in time for the upcoming election. According to US Voting Facts, only 45 percent of people ages 18-29 voted in 2002. The youth vote was strong in 2008, but fell off in 2012 where it has still not risen up yet. Soares is a freshman at the University of Maine studying business and politics is not part of his world. “I never really paid any attention to the elections to be honest. I do not have an interest in politics and that is why I have not registered to vote. Sooner or later I will though,” Soares said. Other students are active voters. Chris Usseglio, 18, a freshman at Stonehill College, plans to vote for the first time with an absentee ballot. “When I first registered I did not look into it right away, I kind of pushed it off. With the election coming up I began to look much more into it, and have decided to vote. I will not be at home at the time and will be voting with an absentee ballot. I like being involved,” Usseglio said. Alex Alcindor, 18, is a freshman at St. John’s University in New York, studying English. He said he has been very involved with the voting process and has been since he registered to vote. “I voted as soon as I could. I thought it was cool to be able to put my own opinion into something bigger than just the high school I went to. Since I am in New York, I will be filling out an absentee ballot for the state election coming up. Although I am away I still want to be involved in what is going on since this is important,” Alcindor said. Others who were planning to vote were going to find a way back home to vote on time. “I have only heard of two other voters that are going to be using an absentee ballot, I am not sure if that is a good thing or not,” Alcindor said.