In 2020, 15.3 million young voters sat out the election. That many potential voters could shift the entire outcome. To put that into perspective, Joe Biden won the popular vote by seven million votes. If those 15.3 million young people had voted for Trump, the outcome could have resulted in him being in the White House. Although a majority of my generation wants to avoid a far-right government, we are not as politically active as other generations.

Historically, young voters have had the lowest turnout among all age groups. According to Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, in a poll from September 2024, Harris held a 31-point lead over Trump among voters aged 18-29. When all ages were considered, Harris was polling at 48.4% while Trump sat at 45.9%. This meant the election was close enough to be decided by a few million young voters. In Florida, with its 30 electoral college votes, students at South Broward who are at least 18 years old could tip the next election if they come out and make their voices heard.

Even if you do not like either candidate, voting is about more than choosing the president. For example, on my ballot, there were judges, senators, representatives, commissioners, sheriffs, referendums, and even constitutional amendments. An important constitutional amendment decided in the 2024 election was Florida’s amendment 4, which would have prohibited any restriction on abortions. To clear up misconceptions, this did not mean minors could get abortions freely; parental consent would still have been required. The dangers of abortion are also greatly misinterpreted. According to a CDC report, out of 100,000 cases, abortion-related deaths had a rate of 0.41, while childbirth-related deaths had a rate of 17.35. If amendment 4 had passed, laws that force women to undergo childbirth would have been illegal, which would help prevent deaths among mothers.

Unfortunately, the amendment failed by just 3%. Only 3%. We should not even be in this situation to begin with. A vote on amendment 4 should never have been necessary. Trump’s appointment of the three federal judges—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—caused this. All three voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, taking away a 50-year right women had over control of their own bodies. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis quickly decided on a ban on abortion after six weeks of conception. This decision even affected some of our peers here at South Broward who weren’t old enough to make their voices heard. With the success of amendment 4, we could have reversed this Florida decision.

I encourage you to vote in the 2028 election. There is no reason not to. Are you too busy to vote? Florida allows early voting and voting by mail. Are you unsure of the process? FVAP.org has a voting assistance guide that covers everything from where, when, and how to vote. There is no excuse for a low turnout. So, register to vote in 2028.

Here’s a guide on how to become a registered voter:
Preparing to vote: age 18 and under | Vote.gov