As Gen Z, we're told we will 'fix everything.' Voting in the midterms is the first step.
In just two weeks, the future of our country and planet will be decided in the midterm elections. The stakes are incredibly high for all Americans – but especially for Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2012. And it just so happens that the youth vote will be a deciding factor this cycle.
The three of us know that to be true, not only because we are part of Gen Z but also because we are united in our mission to give young people a voice in politics at Voters of Tomorrow. If there’s one thing we have learned, it’s that young people are eager to make their voices heard this November.
In fact, earlier this month, we conducted a national survey that found 67% of Gen Z voters in swing states are likely or absolutely certain to vote in the midterms. Make no mistake: Those are numbers that, if translated to the ballot box, would mark record-breaking youth turnout.
But we aren’t stopping there, because we aren’t taking anything for granted. Our generation simply has too much on the line for a third of us to sit this out. This election is personal to us, to you and to every young person in America.
Here is why we, the young people of Voters of Tomorrow, are engaging in this election, and why you should too:
Easy to feel helpless, but hope is not lost
Marianna Pecora, 18 years old from California
I was 12 years old when Donald Trump announced his candidacy for president by saying people like my Mexican family were “rapists.” Politics never concerned me before, but I could sense a change when people started calling me names at school.
In eighth grade, my classmates in choir class decided that the soundproofed walls, lack of windows and heavy metal doors made the music rooms the safest places to be in case of a school shooting. I felt helpless, and politics made me cynical and disillusioned. But the following years brought one reason after another to get active and help solve the problems around me.
Our generation is dealing with a lot. We’re traumatized by what we’ve been through and scared of what’s ahead.
I didn't vote in 2016. Young, liberal voters, don't make my mistake with the midterms.
But we know that all hope is not lost. That hope is what inspired me to get involved. Thankfully, I’ve found a network of activists and organizers who are devoted to bettering the country and uplifting each other.
Yes, as a young person, you could look at the state of politics and feel helpless. But trust me: What you feel is real, and there are people like us who are ready to welcome you with open arms and help change the world.
TikTok 'climate doom': The spread of 'climate doom' on TikTok is hurting the climate justice movement – and Gen Z
We're told Gen Z will 'fix everything.' This is how.
Samantha Bernstein, 18 years old from Florida
It was Valentine's Day when I received a news alert on my phone that hit too close to home: There was an active shooter event at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School – a school just 15 minutes away from my own.
As I frantically texted my friends in Parkland to check if they were OK, I assumed there was no possible way anyone could have been killed. Tragically, I was wrong, and we suffered an incalculable loss.
In the absence of support from adults in power, we orchestrated a walkout and joined forces with students from across the state in pushing for critical gun violence legislation.
Americans want stricter gun safety measures. Gen Z will help us get there.
It shocked me just how much power we held as young people who weren’t yet old enough to vote. I was equally surprised at the natural resistance and apathy toward voting in Gen Z culture when I turned 18.
I grew up constantly hearing that my generation “will fix everything.” Ultimately, though, no solution to gun violence will be found without showing up at the ballot box. We must vote to protect ourselves and our friends – and because it’s the only option.
Students can lead the charge for change: It's up to us students to help make schools safer from gun violence
Not everyone has the right to vote. Don't take it for granted.
Raghav Joshi, 18 years old from New York
Growing up in different countries, I’ve seen multiple cultures and perspectives, several forms of government, and varying degrees of freedom. I lived in an incredibly authoritarian country when I saw the region around me destabilize during the Arab Spring. Tumult and struggles for freedom sprung up all around us.
At the same time, I was struggling with my sexuality. And I knew that in some of the countries I lived in, members of the LGBTQ+ community risked jail time or even the death penalty.
When I moved to the United States, I finally lived under a system that, despite some glaring flaws, is built for progress. I finally found the support and community I needed to feel safe.
To say that I value democracy is an understatement. And while I can’t show my appreciation for this country at the ballot box this year because I’m not yet a citizen, it won’t stop me from fighting for progress.
If you are blessed enough to have the right to vote, don’t take it lightly – and don’t take it for granted. Do it for Gen Z.
Marianna Pecora, Samantha Bernstein and Raghav Joshi are college freshmen who serve on the Executive Board of Voters of Tomorrow, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that engages and represents Generation Z in politics and government.