Make your voice be heard by voting

Registering for classes, buying books, trying to fit all of your
stuff into a ridiculously small room. Yes, it’s the beginning
of another school year, and you’ve got a lot on your mind.
It’s already so hard to juggle your work and a bustling
social calendar ““ you feel like you couldn’t handle one
more thing. But there is always something new, and here is the
latest update to your ever-growing to-do list: You have to vote in
the upcoming presidential election.

Before you file this away under “after-school special
requests” right along with “eat five fruits and
vegetables a day” and “don’t do drugs,”
take a second to consider why voting in this election is especially
important.

Rock the Vote is committed to making history by registering a
million new voters and mobilizing at least 20 million young people
to polls on Election Day, November 2. The 2000 Presidential
Campaign came down to a handful of votes in a few key states, and
only half of eligible college age students were registered to vote,
and only one-third actually voted. The difference in the popular
vote was fewer than 450,000 ballots, just a little more than 1
percent of the total vote. Imagine what 1 million new voters can
do.

But whether your candidate wins or loses, your vote is
contributing to a larger movement of young people who are telling
politicians they care about the issues in this election and that
their concerns demand action. Don’t think politics affect
you? Think again. In this election, the major issues greatly affect
young people, such as the war in Iraq, health care, college debt
and the job market.

Politicians may decide how we fight the war in Iraq, but it is
America’s youth who are doing the fighting. As 80 percent of
the military is under 35, these people make up the vast majority of
casualties in Iraq. At the end of June, 609 soldiers under the age
of 30 had died, which makes up 72 percent of the total
casualties.

When you graduate and are no longer eligible to be on your
family’s health insurance plan, how will you be covered? Many
young people aren’t receiving the health care they need.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2002, young adults are
twice as likely to have no insurance than other age groups.

Finally, college debt and the lackluster job market are major
concerns for most students. Though you may be psyched to finally
graduate from UCLA, your wallet may not be as thrilled.
According to 2002 data from the Nellie Mae Educational
Foundation, the median undergraduate student loan debt has risen 74
percent since 1997 to $16,500. Data from MonsterTRAK, a job search
Web site, says debt combined with the tough job market have left 57
percent of college graduates moving back in with their parents
after graduating in June. How would you like to go back to sharing
a room with your sibling while you look for a job?

When young people vote, politicians have to address issues
relevant to them to get re-elected. Ever wonder why politicians are
always talking about prescription drugs and Medicare? It’s
because older Americans vote and politicians pay attention.
Wouldn’t it be great if politicians focused more energy on
the issues most important to you? When young people vote as a
group, they demand attention and get results.

Research indicates that, in this election especially, when you
vote you won’t be alone. More young people say they plan to
vote November 2 than at any time during the 1996 and 2000
elections. According to MTV research, in October 2003, 39 percent
of 17- to 24-year-olds say they are “absolutely
certain” they will vote in 2004 ““ that’s 30
percent higher than its highest point in 1999. Early signs for 2004
show that the youth vote will have an even greater impact this time
around. In the New Hampshire Democratic primary, 55 percent more
young people voted than in 2000, and in the Iowa Caucus four times
as many young people voted.

Since January, over 600,000 people have downloaded online voter
registration forms from Rock the Vote and our registration
partners, and over 100,000 people have been registered on the
ground by our street teams. So join up. Make room on your to-do
list. Put a big star by November 2 on your calendar. Make sure to
stand up for what you believe in by voting this Election Day. And
if you haven’t registered to vote yet, go online to
www.rockthevote.com today and make sure your voice is heard.

Greene is president of Rock the Vote.