Young People Don’t Want to Vote in the 2014 Midterms – Here’s Who We Should Blame

If early polling data is anything to judge, youth voter turnout for this year’s November midterm elections will be dismal.

It’s tempting to think this can be explained by Americans of all age groups — not just young people — failing to turn out during midterm elections. Only 41% of Americans came out to vote in the 2010 midterms, compared to national voter turnout that reached 58% in the 2012 presidential election. And yet the numbers show something striking about young people specifically: In recent years, our generation has turned out in smaller percentages for midterms than any other age group.

In 2010, just 24% of 18-29 year-olds came out to vote. This year looks no different. Recent polls show that 79% of voters over the age of 65 are “absolutely certain” that they’ll vote in the 2014 midterm elections, but only 23% of voters between the ages of 18 to 29 said they’re definitely going to cast a ballot this year.

Continue reading:  http://www.policymic.com/articles/89853/young-people-don-t-want-to-vote-in-the-2014-midterms-here-s-who-we-should-blame

Commentary by The Secular Jurist:  In this superb article, author Jake Horowitz correctly reveals the self-defeatism of Millennials who justify not voting because government is currently “ineffective,” the system is now “rigged,” and their generation is being “ignored.”  While all these points are true, non-participation in democracy by any demographic group is guaranteed to give them even less voice in politics.  Why does government pay more attention to older people?  Because they vote.