Are you a part of the largest generation in America since the baby boomers? People born between 1977 and 1997 are a part of the millennial generation. This generation includes about 78 million citizens.
According to the US Census Bureau, almost 60 percent (44 million) of the citizens from the millennial generation, ages 18-29, are registered to vote. More students are becoming politically involved each year. In 2006, the voter turnout from this demographic was almost two million more people than in 2002. This amount then nearly doubled in 2008.
Mattie Brandon, a current college student majoring in strategic communications, enjoys being a registered voter and actively votes in the local elections.
“Everyone should become registered and be involved. It is important because they are voting for the country’s president. They are voting for a person to represent them. So everyone should care about who it is,” Brandon said.
SLCC students, on the other hand, are slightly behind this trend. In a random survey conducted with 25 SLCC students, 65 % of them are registered voters. However, less than half (40 %) plan on voting in the next presidential election and two students remained undecided from lack of interest in the current candidates.
Current SLCC student Brittany Brunker is a registered voter. Although she is registered, she did not vote in the last presidential election and does not plan to vote in the next one.
“[I’m registered] because I can be. If there is someone that I really want to vote for then I would. It just depends on if I’m interested in it during the election,” she said. “I change my mind a lot. I don’t care now but I might sometime.”
In the random survey conducted with 25 SLCC students, 16 % of the students weren’t registered to vote because of uncertainty of where to go and how to register. Nonetheless, it is a simple process to become a registered voter.
“All I had to do to become registered was fill out a card, so I did,”Brunker said.
There are a few different ways students can register to vote. Students are able to register online anytime at vote.utah.gov by using the signatures that are on file at the Driver License Division. A hard copy registration form is in the White Pages at the end of the government section and can be copied for multiple people.Forms are also available for students to download at elections.utah.gov and should be mailed to a county clerk’s office once completed. There is also an in-person registration, where a person can go into a county clerk’s office directly to register.
Official photo identification is necessary to vote at the polls.
