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submitted 9 months ago by _number8_@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

let's gooo

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[-] callouscomic@lemm.ee -1 points 9 months ago

Said every election since ever and nothing changes. Pipe dreams, like a general strike.

[-] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 6 points 9 months ago

Nothing changes because the people that say they want real, significant change never show up in enough numbers to get shit done. If gen Z really gives a shit, then they need to all get out and fucking work for it. I've voted in every election and every primary I've been eligible to, since turned 22. If 100% of the gen Z kids that are eligible to vote showed up to the primaries, they could get any candidate through that they wanted. Primaries typically attract far, far fewer voters than the general election does; in some states, primary participation is as low as 3% or eligible voters.

[-] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 2 points 9 months ago

Why is turnout always so low?

[-] vimdiesel@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

turnout for young voters (at least in US history) has always been low, people don't get into politics usually until they hit their 30s

[-] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 2 points 9 months ago

Yeah, why? Follow up question, do you think it's possible to change this significantly, and if so how?

[-] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I suspect that it's a combination of things.

I think that one thing that would help is if your employer was required to give you paid time-off to vote in primary, local, state, and national elections, say, four hours of time, but only if you actually voted. I'll bet voting rates woudl skyrocket.

[-] electric_nan@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

Do you not think that maybe neither party tries very hard to court the youth vote? It's not as if 18 year olds are donating to their PACs.

[-] HelixDab2@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

Maybe not, but those votes have votes, and those votes get you power.

[-] Eyron@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

Vote. Seriously. (If practical: get involved, too). The U.S. is currently in the middle of a large shift of generational power.

Many of these changes are fairly recent:

  • 2020 was the first federal election where the Baby Boomers didn't make up the largest voting generation.
  • It was only in 2016 that the number Gen X and younger voting numbers grew larger than the boomer and older numbers.
  • Those numbers had been possible since 2010. Despite having more eligible voters (135M vs 93M), the "GenXers and younger" only had ~36M actual voters, compared to ~57M older ones.

Looking forward, the numbers only get better for younger voters. There hasn't been a demographic shift like this in the U.S. in a long time (ever?). The current power structures can not be maintained for much longer. It is still possible for that shift to be peaceful. Please encourage the peaceful transfer: vote. Vote in the primaries. Maybe even vote for better voting systems. This time is unique, but change takes time. Don't let them fool you otherwise: that's just them trying to hold on to their power.

[-] jj4211@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

2020 had very flexible early voting and absentee voting and many people weren't going to work in person anyway.

Every prior year, being retired was a huge advantage for ability to go to the polling places and actually vote. It's easy to see how retirees would be represented disproportionately given that reality.

[-] HipHoboHarold@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

Well, they have voted more in the last few elections. Just gotta hope they don't get complicit and continue to show up.

[-] Socsa@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Believing that nothing has changed is the most privileged form of cynicism in these threads. At ever conceivable time scale, there is plenty of progress.

There will never be a utopia. There will always be something to improve.

[-] vimdiesel@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

RIght, people just need to pick up a book and look at statistics on racism, sexism, etc and realize it's better than it ever has been but the MAGAs are on the rise, panicking, and trying to set up a dictatorship with Trump, so go vote or lose it all.

this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024
1403 points (95.9% liked)

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