With the 2024 election tomorrow, it seems that a lot is relying on the voice of our youth. This year’s election has been controversial as voters across the country debate over who should be in office, how America should be run, and what issues matter the most. With organizations like Voters of Tomorrow projecting this year to feature the largest youth voter turnout, everyones wants to know where our youth stand right now.
The Pepper Bough gathered a group of nine 18-year-old students to seek their thoughts about the 2024 election. They were asked five questions and given the space to speak and listen to others in the round table group. Participants were not asked about what or who they would vote for, as the purpose of the questions was to better understand how each thinks about voting, civic responsibility, what they look for in a candidate, and which issues matter most to them.
One of the biggest surprises, considering the national data, is that a majority of the group shared they had decided not to vote in this election year. The main reason expressed was being unfamiliar with the importance and idea of voting, and the politics of it all.
One participant, Andrew Reveles, explained his reason for not casting a ballot this year. “I won’t be voting just because it is too controversial and people look at you differently just because of who you vote for.”
Several of the participants do plan on voting, however. They believed that by voting they get a chance to have their voices heard, and to get what they want out of the country to better it.
Germany Guerra shared, “Yes, I am going to vote because I think it’s important to have a leader that’s good for our country, and someone that would make our country stronger.”
Dominic Valencia said that he will be voting because he has been taught a lot about politics. His parents have been very open about the subject, which has opened his eyes about politics in general.
Joshua Wood stated that he believes voting is a privilege and explained how people in some other countries don’t get the opportunity to vote, so he believes that people should “take the chance of the privileges.”
Besides the topic of voting itself, the participants had a lot of thoughts about which issues most impact their lives which they would like to be addressed by our leaders, both nationally and locally.
The biggest concern across the group is about how “inflation has been getting out of control.” Many shared how it has become more difficult to earn a living in this time of incredible inflation and how that has affected not only them but their families.
They have also put a lot of thought into how improper spending by the government has become a real concern. For example, some saw giving out stimulus checks as a problem, while others did not think it was right for the U.S. government to send money to Israel and “not taking care of our own.”
War, crime and crime rate, and medical insurance are also issues they believe need to be addressed by our leaders.
When it came time to discuss what qualities they look for in their leaders, and in a President, the participants had a lot to offer. Qualities they noted included having someone that cares about everyone no matter their gender, religion, identification, or race; someone who is selfless and doesn’t just care about themselves, their desires and goals; someone with courage and who doesn’t push for war; someone who looks to future generations; someone who can provide a safe and structured society; someone who understands that what they do with affect future generations; someone who thinks out of the box and doesn’t just pick the first solution that comes up; someone who knows how to manage the government.
For our participants, they want a President that cares more about the country, can ensure the people’s lives are better, tells the truth about what is going on and has courage to take action.
Being 18 and ready to take a step into the responsibilities of adulthood does not come without criticism. Lots of older people don’t think young people are responsible enough to be making decisions about the future of their country. We posed this question to our participants.
They acknowledged that people may underestimate them by saying that 18 year olds are still too young, and assume they are apathetic and disillusioned. Most of the group agreed with this.
Ja’len Terry was passionate about this. “I know a lot of people in this room who are extremely talented and they just happen to be in this generation.”
Tyler Morales disagreed with what others said about people his age, explaining that “Understanding comes not from age, but from experience,” and “People progress differently with how they live their life. You can gain that kind of knowledge and you can have your own conviction based on what you research. We have technology, we have history books.”
One thing the participants all agreed with was that voting would be their first act towards serving their community other than having a job and volunteering. They also agreed that this will not be their last election. They plan on continuing to let their voices be heard in order to improve their community.