Millennials have the potential to set the course of the nation's political direction, but there's one major problem—young Americans generally don't vote.According to statistics from the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts data-driven social science research, millennials match baby boomers in their number of votes. In April of last year, the number of millennials (ages 18-35) reached 69.2 million which is nearly the same as baby boomers (ages 52-70) at 69.7 million. The gap between the two generations is filled by Generation X— people between the ages of 36-51— at about 25 percent of the nation's electorate, which means millennials and baby boomers are poised to have the most voting power.According to analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau, people between the ages of 18 to 24 have some of the lowest voter turnout rates of any age demographic in the country. Also, a report from Pew showed that only 49.4 percent of eligible millennial voters cast a ballot in comparison to the 68.7 percent of their baby boomer counterparts.If you have a strong opinion on how the government should be run, don't just talk about it— take action. Make sure you're registered to vote so that you can have your voice heard. Then show up on Election Day in local and federal races to make your vote count. VICE Impact has partnered with Democracy Works in their TurboVote initiative to get people registered. Sign up today to have an effect on tomorrow.
Illustration via Tallulah Fontaine.
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Millennials Make up as Many Votes as Baby Boomers, but Are the Worst at Voter Turnout
For the week leading up to the one-year anniversary of the 2016 elections, VICE Impact will be featuring facts that illustrate a broken electoral system in America, and how the nation can do better.
