Turning 18 hasn’t met the hype. In the movies, characters explore the new found freedom of adulthood or buy cigarettes at the local gas station. In reality, though, I’m still waking up every morning and going to school, no less liberated than the day before. Nothing has really changed – not yet, anyway. 

It will change. It will change on March 19, for those who are registered Republicans or Democrats, and November 5 for everyone else. We are finally enfranchised, and have an important opportunity to participate in the upcoming presidential election.

Unfortunately, young people have historically had the lowest voter turnout of any age group. Chalk it up to apathy, laziness, or a low sense of efficacy – no matter the reason, it’s a real problem. There’s an unfortunate shared sentiment among nonvoters that their one vote (or lack thereof) doesn’t matter.

This is extremely dangerous to democracy. Yes, I’m aware of how dramatic that sounds, but it’s the truth. Democracy relies on equal input from all citizens. Voting is not a privilege, it’s a duty. By agreeing to be an American citizen, living under the benefits of the US government, we have a responsibility to participate in elections, local or national. Having a voice in government is globally coveted – many countries don’t have democracies, and even in those who do, citizens are still often underrepresented or disenfranchised.

Even in the United States, ex-felons are not allowed to vote. Nor are unnaturalized residents or minors. And even among those who are eligible to vote, only 52.2% participated in the 2022 elections. So for those of us who can vote, our voice matters.

Unfortunately, I am not excited to vote in this upcoming election. Yes, I’ve been dreaming of being a voter since I was 11, but I never imagined the two candidates I would have to choose between. An octogenarian and one close to it. A rich white man and another rich white man. An inarticulate Democrat and a reality TV star Republican. A career politician and a billionaire businessman. Practically two incumbents.

The Republican primary wasn’t even very interesting. Yes, the debates were funny, watching Vivek Ramaswamy clown around trying to get Trump’s attention while Ron DeSantis adjusted his high heels and traded insults with Nikki Haley. It was never a competition – which only contributes to the all-time low feelings of political efficacy. Watch the debates or don’t, show up to the polls or not, Donald Trump secured the party nomination the second he announced his campaign. 

Now, the members of the Republican party are faced with a difficult choice. This probably affects many of my peers, a unique challenge in their first time voting. As the party factions into the extreme right and the Reagan-era “classic” conservatives, who do you choose? Do you jump to the far right to consolidate red seats in government, or do you cross party lines to protest the abandonment of fair democracy?

The members of the Democratic party may have an easier choice but probably feel just as helpless. It’s assumed you support Joe Biden to stop Trump. But who wants to vote for Biden? He shows concerning signs of aging and mental decay, and can barely get one minute through a speech before stumbling on his words or contradicting himself. 

So, the solution is to just not vote, right? Wrong. Absolutely and extremely incorrect. Do not throw away your vote. Yes, one vote matters. Yes, you have the power to make change. Political apathy is one of the most dangerous threats to democracy. One person stops voting, then one hundred, then one thousand. While the numbers may feel negligible in national elections, local and state ones are just as important and can be swayed based on the smallest of changes in voter turnout. Additionally, we need to set (or uphold) the precedent that voting is our duty as American citizens. We need to vote in this election and vote in every single one after.

What does my vote do? It can elect a politician, provide funding to my district, and allow my voice to be heard by the government. Voting is more than just choosing one candidate or another. Voting is standing for democracy, supporting our country’s institutions, and defending the principles of liberty and equality our founding fathers fought for. Deciding not to use your vote, or wasting it on a comedic write-in is disrespectful to all those before us who fought for universal adult suffrage. It’s disrespectful to the abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and the feminists like Susan B. Anthony. 

So vote for Trump. Or vote for Biden. Or vote for a third party candidate (you’re wasting your say in who is president, but I respect standing for what you believe in). To not vote at all is lazy, cowardly, and ignorant. Be the change. Prove the statistics wrong. Don’t fit the stereotypes of voters aged 18-25. Show up to the polls, or mail in your ballot, or vote early. Just do it. Do it for democracy, and freedom, and any of your ancestors who may not have been able to vote.