Millennial Votes Matter

The words “right to vote” are mentioned five times in the United States Constitution. It’s the very foundation of our democratic society. Most of us were taught that voting is a civic responsibility of eligible citizens. The key word is “eligible.”

Historically, the right to vote is a privilege that has been taken away depending on literacy, or length of residency in a community, lack of criminal past, or ability to prove identity. Illiteracy, drifting, being convicted of a crime or no I.D. are the things that can make on ineligible. Over the years, these challenges have tremendously ill affected the poor and/or people of color.

As we near the upcoming Presidential election, it’s important to understand just how critical the millennial vote is. Millennials are Americans born between 1980 and the mid-2000s, are the largest generation in the U.S., representing one-third of the total U.S. population in 2013.

According to the 2013 Pew Research Center report, millennials make up 25 percent of the eligible electorate. Today, voter ID has been used more often than any other method to make voters ineligible.

An important group to acknowledge is The Black Youth Project which has been one of the only institutions to consistently monitor the thoughts and actions of young people of color.

The Black Youth Project examines the attitudes, resources and culture of the young black millennials.  We have three core areas of focus: knowledge, voice, and action.

They currently conduct quarterly surveys of young people and based on that data publish short policy memos meant to highlight what young Americans think about critical issues ranging from the Affordable Care Act to same-sex marriage.

If you are a millennial, please take the survey below.

Gen Forward Survey
A survey of the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the AP-NOC Center for Public Affairs Research

Click here

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