🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Both democracy and the planet itself are on the ballot in the midterm elections, and the only way for to win is for young people to get out the vote in record-breaking numbers. While everyone needs to do their part and vote, only an historic effort by this nation's youngest voters can ensure that we continue to live in a free society and create a sustainable climate future.
Typically, youth turnout dips during midterms, but the 2018 and 2020 elections give us cause for hope. Youth voting numbers doubled in 2018 and helped Democrats gain 40 seats in the House. In 2020, not only did about half of all young people vote; you were the ones who decided major elections. Youth of color, especially, were instrumental in electing President Biden.
Some young people are disillusioned about voting in the upcoming elections because you feel you didn't get all of what you were promised last time. Apathy toward voting is rising among youth, and it's not hard to see why. According to a new national survey, 42 percent of young people agreed with the statement: "I don't believe my vote will make a real difference." A whopping 56 percent agreed that "politics today are no longer able to meet the challenges our country is facing."
Unfortunately, it's true that our elected officials won't always do the right thing. We don't always see the exact results we want, and sometimes it can feel like our votes didn't matter. But our ancestors sacrificed to give us the freedom to speak out against those wrongs and the power to vote out of office leaders who aren't representing our interests. Those who came before us fought for our right to use our voice; the least we can do is use it to be loud and proud about the changes we want to see in our country.
Young people, you do have the power to effect change. You are quickly becoming the most influential voting demographic in the country. In 2020, over 49 million Millennials and Zoomers voted. Since then, an estimated 8.5 million more Americans have turned 18 and have become eligible to vote. Those numbers translate to real power when it comes to electing leaders who are invested in your best interests.
America's young people also are more diverse than ever before. For context, my generation of Americans—I'm 75—is about 80 percent white. Meanwhile, almost half of Gen Z is made of young people of color. That means young Americans have the opportunity right now to create a world based on equal representation and equal rights.
Why is it so important for today's youth to use your voting power? It's simple: You're the ones who will inherit this earth. Oil and gas companies are shamelessly polluting our planet. They're building pipelines and factories that destroy coastlines and communities, seep toxic chemicals into the ground, and spew contaminants into the air we breathe. And who suffers the most? Poorer communities made up of people of color because that's who the industry believes they can sacrifice for profit.
The oil and gas industry doesn't care about the health, safety, or future of young people who will have to live in the world they've poisoned. Luckily, you have the power to stop them. You can vote for officials with green agendas, especially those who support stricter permitting processes for oil, gas, and chemical companies. You can vote for environmentally friendly ballot measures to show your local politicians what matters to you, and what they'll need to do to keep earning your vote.
Your forebears fought for your right to vote; for your right to speak out to build safe and equitable lives on a thriving, abundant planet. Honor their sacrifice and protect your future by voting in this election.
Lieutenant General Russel Honoré is a retired commanding officer of the First U.S. Army and current leader of the Green Army, a citizen-led organization fighting pollution and climate change. To learn more, visit his website: generalhonore.com.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
