In 2020, 78% of eligible students at the University of Michigan voted in the election, up 18% from 2016. When I discuss this November’s election with my peers, our conversations indicate a possible break from the previous election’s high turnout. They criticize both candidates and aren’t sure whether or not to vote. They hope that their non-vote would act as a protest against an unsatisfactory selection of political leaders and a commitment to their values for a more robust democratic process.
My peers are not alone. In fact, 67% of respondents to a January Ipsos poll voiced dissatisfaction with the current candidates, and 14% of respondents to a recent Marist poll do not want to vote for either one. Many citizens have legitimate reasons to feel unsatisfied with the nominees, whether it’s their policy goals or personal traits.
While boycotting the election may seem appealing to ambivalent voters, choosing not to vote actually fails to secure more desirable nominees or ensure policy progress. Rather, we, as students of the University, must leverage our voices in November to spur the changes that we want to see.
Many young adults believe that their non-vote would pressure the two parties to nominate candidates who are more responsive to their generation. History proves that this may not be the case. For instance, youth voter turnout dipped in the 2012 and 2016 elections. This low turnout did not encourage the parties to nominate more desirable candidates. The two choices today are nearly as unpopular as the nominees in 2016 were.
In this election especially, it will be undecided voters that determine our next president. Though many voters believe that their voice does not matter, our voices have more weight than we realize: Michigan is a swing state, and even a small number of votes can decide this election. By choosing not to vote, we’re forfeiting our say in America’s future. A non-vote is a vote for the winning candidate. We need to use our voices if we want them to matter. We should not let others speak for us.
If we decide to skip the ballot box, we also lose the opportunity to vote for candidates running for lower levels of government. Given the heavy media spotlight on the presidential election, we overlook the power of these officials in creating the changes that we want to see. On Ann Arbor’s ballot this November, voters will elect new U.S. House Representatives, State House Representatives, school board members and other officials. Before November, we can also vote in Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary on August 6th.
Local voting is especially important since these officials enact policy regarding public safety, transportation and housing — decisions that touch our everyday lives. In local elections where one vote can often determine the winner, our voices are critical in ensuring our representation in politics and shaping our city’s policy agenda.
Some people voice barriers to voting as a reason for not casting their ballot. While we should recognize the structural obstacles that preclude people from voting, the University provides students with clear registration steps and on-campus polling stations, which help to facilitate the process. For the presidential primary, I changed my registration to Michigan at a booth in the Diag, and early voting policies let me vote at a convenient time at the University of Michigan Museum of Art.
Despite all of the resources U-M students are given to ease our access to the ballot box, some of us will still abstain from the election. Young people are rightfully frustrated that policymakers aren’t responding to their needs, but not voting won’t change that. An abstention will not miraculously address people’s frustration with the electoral college or two-party system.
Rather than take the performative approach of non-voting, we should channel our dissatisfaction into organizing. We can volunteer for cause-specific organizations on-campus, advocate for local and state candidates whose policy stance aligns with ours and hold discussions with each other to enact change within our imperfect political system.
Non-voting is a short-sighted strategy that reinforces our complicity in a system that perpetuates our dissatisfaction. Given our status as young voters in a swing state, we must leverage our voices across all levels of government to demand adequate representation and a brighter future. While our voices know no bounds, our power starts at the ballot box.
Sarah Zhang is an Opinion Columnist who writes about gender, race and campus culture. She can be reached at sarzhang@umich.edu.
The post UMich, don’t boycott the election appeared first on The Michigan Daily.
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