This piece appeared in the Nov. 2 Election Special Edition. View more from that edition.
Millennials make headlines daily for social media crazes and popular trends, but on Nov. 8, they could also make headlines for their influence in the ballot box.
According to a recent Pew Research Center analysis, millennials — adults born between 1981 and 1997 — are predicted to outnumber the baby boomer generation in voter turnout this election year.
SGA Class of 2017 senator Carlos Andino said the historic majority gives this generation the potential to make a difference.
“As Millennials, we have to understand that decisions have been being made for us our entire lives,” Andino said. “This is our first chance to get out there and say how we want the future to go.”
Though Andino is excited, history shows a lack of participation by the Millennial generation. Another Pew Research Center survey indicated that less than 50 percent of eligible Millennials actually casted their vote in the 2012 elections.
Andino said he believes Millennials have the opportunity to make change when they vote and he hopes his peers take that opportunity.
“We have the ability to be one of the most educated populations in the electorate, but at the same time we have to take that responsibility,” he said.
SGA Class of 2020 president Livi Murray is only 17. But while she is unable to vote this election, she is making sure all of her friends participate.
“I am encouraging all my friends to vote,” Murray said. “Because for people who aren’t able to have a say in this election, you need to stick up for what is right or what you believe is right. Because who wins will determine the history of the country for the next four years.”