DEMOREST, GA

Many Piedmont college students will be eligible to vote for the first time for the 2016 presidential election. The question is will they?

A recent CNN poll shows that 78% of millennials are enthusiastic about the 2016 elections. However, there are concerns that these statistics will not translate into votes. In the 2008 presidential election, a little over half of people ages eighteen to twenty-nine voted. This was the highest percentage in 20 years. In 2012, the youth turnout was 45%.

Politicians are trying to reach millennials the best way they can; many are turning to resources such as social media. Habersham County Commissioner Natalie Crawford is running for reelection next year. She uses Facebook in order to get younger people interested and encouraged to vote.

Piedmont student Brittany Sharer tries to stay up to date and educated through various sources, including social media. She follows several presidential candidates on Twitter and Facebook. Sharer checks up on advocate organizations to find out if candidates are talking about the issues she is interested in.

“Even if you aren’t going to vote you should stay informed because the people elected will affect you,” said Brittany.

Statistics show not everyone is as enthusiastic as Brittany. Piedmont student Austin Young does not plan on voting in the election. Young says he is too busy doing other activities to pay attention to politics. He also believes it would not matter if he did vote.

“It’s just one vote,” Young said. “It’s not going to make a difference either way.”

Are you registered to vote?  If not, you can register online at https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote.

Do you think millennials will be a major deciding factor in the 2016 Presidential elections? Leave a comment.