It’s an election year, which means it's almost time to vote for a new president.
For some Belmont students, this will be their first time voting, an exciting time filled with a lot of processes.
But because of the sheer effort it takes to vote –– registering in your state, doing the research to pick a candidate and finally going to the ballots to cast a vote –– voter turnout is low.
In 2020 roughly 57 percent of voters between the ages of 18-29 didn’t vote, and the rates only got worse for the midterms.
But the president isn’t the only elected official on the ballot.
In Tennessee, elections are happening for the U.S. Senate and House and the Tennessee state Senate and House.
They’re the ones deciding where your state dollars are going.
They’re the ones deciding what is best for public safety.
They’re the ones deciding on laws for the state.
But In 2022 voter turnout in Tennessee was the worst in the country for state races with only about 39 percent of Tennessee voters actually turning out to vote.
But it doesn’t have to stay like that.
State officials matter just as much if not more than federal officials when it comes to the direct impact on voters.
Young people need to vote in the local elections just as much as they need to vote in the presidential elections.
Local policies are decided by county officials, people who are walking the same streets as voters.
State policies are created by officials who shop at the same grocery stores and have children who go to the same schools as voters.
State and local politics are grassroots politics.
And a tree is only as strong as its roots.
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This article was written by Braden Simmons
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