The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin
Despite all the political attack ads, all the job-approval roller-coaster ratings and all the are-you-better-off-than-four-years-ago questions, Americans seem lukewarm about voting this year.
One Gallup poll had 29% of the national respondents saying neither President Joe Biden nor former President Donald Trump would be good for the next term.
Another found that a slight majority were “fired up” to vote but 41% were not so enthusiastic.
This shouldn’t be the case.
By now, as we are less than one month from the Indiana primary, Hoosiers should have a good idea which party ballot they’ll take into the voting booth on May 7. And they should also have a good idea of whom they will vote for, particularly for president, governor and U.S. representative.
But here is what we find truly revealing: We’re not sure how young Hoosiers will vote. Their interests are vast: the economy, the cost of housing, student loans and the future of Social Security, among a few.
Yet, an Axios national poll in February indicated that 58% of those from ages 18 to 34 doubted whether they would cast a ballot.
Practical Hoosiers don’t believe in such polls. They know that participation in the electoral process is an essential part of living in this country.
But about the youth …
In a CNHI special report, “Pulse of the Voter,” journalists talked with young Hoosiers who generally sensed disenchantment with the upcoming election. One 19-year-old felt his demographic was underrepresented in politics. Another hoped to have a third political party. Yet, another was not pleased to have a rerun of the 2020 presidential election.
They want younger choices. There might be one way to ensure that option exists in the future.
They need to vote. They must make it known that they want candidates to reflect their views and wishes for a successful future.
It’s an approach that all Hoosiers can take.
We must respect these younger voters. None of us should write off their age as one without life experience. Their involvement in the process is just as valid as those of older Hoosiers.
Know the issues. Know the candidates.
And, above all, know that all voters, young and old, are valued.
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