Opinion: As Election Day nears, Bruins have the responsibility to get out and vote

(Helen Juwon Park/Illustrations director)
By Janice Lee
Sept. 20, 2024 8:41 p.m.
“Majority vote wins!”
It seems like only yesterday that we used this phrase for every group decision.
We thought we were mirroring our country’s electoral process, using terms such as “democracy” and “fair” to justify choosing pepperoni over cheese pizza for the class party.
Now, the time has come for us to cast our votes on a more weighty decision: electing our next president. While the election process isn’t as simple as that nostalgic head count game, the fact remains that we, as Americans, have a voice in politics – if we choose to use it.
Yet, despite finally being able to exercise our votes, the majority of Generation Z seems to be taking a back seat in the political arena.
A study from the Berkeley Institute for Young Americans shows that younger generations have significantly lower voter registration rates in comparison to older ones.
Our generation has evidently grown accustomed to reposting the trending topics on social media – yet casting votes in an election seems to be another story.
Fortunately, current Bruins have the opportunity to change this narrative in the upcoming election. With most of our undergraduate student body being born between 2002 and 2006, the 2024 presidential election will be, for many of us, the first in which we can vote – which should be an exciting time.
It’s time to show up and show out.
Getting involved in the election is easy at UCLA, and the first crucial step is registering to vote. UCLA has vote centers on campus to help make voting accessible to all Bruins.
Additionally, UCLA offers academic resources such as the UCLA Voting Rights Project for students who want to educate themselves on voting before casting their ballot.
Sonni Waknin, the senior staff attorney at the UCLA Voting Rights Project, explained how voting applies to students and why we should be motivated to vote.
“People have values, and those values are usually always on the ballot,” Waknin said. “No matter what, it’s going to affect you, so you should have a seat at the table.”
Being well-informed and making thoughtful decisions are just as crucial as participating in elections. These days, we are often easily swayed by and overly trusting of oversimplified hashtags and viral video clips that refrain from telling the whole story.
Second-year political science student Krisha Vyas said she observed the prominence of this issue and encouraged students to do their own research when preparing for elections.
“Your own research will help you discover things that you might have not known or stuff that may have been misrepresented by the media,” Vyas said. “It’s very easy to see things and then take it to heart without really realizing how much deeper it is or how much more there is that you’ve missed.”
Nonpartisan resources are a great starting point to begin your research. Websites such as the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters or the California Voter Information Guide provide information on how to find your district, the results of past elections, the different propositions in upcoming elections and more.
It is easy to doubt whether our vote actually makes a difference.
However, third-year economics student Justin Choi said every vote matters, and voting is key in ensuring that your voice is heard.
“You could be all in for Trump. You could be all in for Harris. But saying one thing doesn’t really help – you got to actually vote, to cast your true opinions, to change this country,” Choi said.
Every vote counts. Despite the common belief that your vote is insignificant in states like California that are not swing states, exercising this right that was granted to us by the 26th Amendment is a duty that we owe to our country and that keeps our democracy and freedom alive.
It can be comfortable to turn a blind eye and create distance from the world of politics as a young adult. But this privilege to feel unburdened by the government for the time being shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Rather, it should be reciprocated through voting for what you believe to be best for the country you live in.
As the future of America, we’re responsible for uplifting and safeguarding our country.
We are the future – let’s act like it and prepare ourselves to vote this fall.