I have been registering voters since 2023, the year I became eligible to vote. I was so excited to register, and even more excited to take action and receive my “I voted!” sticker. But after the 2024 election, seeing that many young voters did not share my fervor and did not vote was disappointing. Voters aged 18 to 29 make up roughly one-third of the national electorate, a block large enough to decide elections. Yet many of us stay home. Growing up in an increasingly polarized country, I felt that oftentimes my opinion, especially as a young person, did not matter, but connecting with students through MASSPIRG changed this.
Most of what we do focuses on helping students update their registration or answer questions about how to vote. But I also talk with many students who doubt that voting is worth the effort, especially in Massachusetts, where many assume the outcome is already decided. What many students don’t realize is how much influence they have over their own communities. Local races and ballot questions are often decided by a few hundred votes, sometimes fewer. They shape housing and rent policy, public transit, school funding, and how our towns spend their money. Too often, conversations about voting center on swing states and partisan issues. That leaves out the places where one vote carries the most weight. You don’t need to live in a battleground state for your vote to matter. You need to know what’s on your ballot.
The midterm election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, and deadlines are close. The last day to register in Massachusetts is Oct. 24, and you can check your status for any state online in less than five minutes at studentvote.org. If you have questions, you can find MASSPIRG tabling around campus, and we will be happy to help.
Maryn Schutz
Amherst