Average age of Americans is 38. Average age of the U.S. House of Representatives? 58. U.S. Senate? 62. Both presidential candidates are over 73 years old. America’s government doesn’t look like America. Let’s change that.
For the 2020 election, voters over age 56 are expected to make up about 37% of eligible voters. But we — Millennials, zillennials, Gen Z — also make up 37% of eligible voters.
But Boomers consistently beat us at the polls — and elected officials know it. About 70% of Baby Boomers voted in 2016. Only 46% of 18- to 29-year-olds did. We might call our government “representative,” but politicians are only held accountable by the people who vote. So if we want our government to take us seriously — to represent us — we have to show these politicians that we’ve got them by the ballot box.
We have the power to change the course of this election cycle. Not just the President of the United States — we have the power to choose who represents us in the U.S. Congress, in our state legislatures and our local government. We hold the power. But we haven’t used it.
March at rallies. Go to protests. Use those hashtags. And vote. Apathy doesn’t bring change. Action does. The only way to get the attention of all those old-guard politicians who are invested in the status quo is to show them we will happily replace them.
Want to know which candidates are going to represent you and your interests? Check out their platforms in The Dominion Post Voter’s Guide — free to view.
Voter registration in West Virginia ends Oct. 13. Early voting runs Oct. 21-31. Applications for an absentee ballot must be received by Oct. 28 and the last day to hand-deliver an absentee ballot to the county clerk is Nov. 2. If you’re supporting the post office and mailing your ballot, make sure it’s postmarked by Nov. 3 at the latest.
We’ve been tricked into thinking a single vote doesn’t matter. But if every single one of us votes, we can bring a tidal wave of change.
Register to vote in West Virginia before the October 13 deadline at https://ovr.sos.wv.gov/Register/Landing#Qualifications
or in other states at vote.org
Request a West Virginia absentee ballot before the October 28 deadline at https://sos.wv.gov/elections/Pages/AbsenteeVotingInformation.aspx
