A Gen Z psychology student asks a few friends who don’t vote – why not?
By Raven Ratliff
Psychology Student
Galveston College
I asked six different people, aged 19 to 21 and from both the Republican and Democratic parties, about their views on politics and what would it take for them to vote if they do not already do so. Most of them expressed how little trust they have in government systems.
The first person I questioned from the Democratic Party stated,
“Personally, I like Biden, he’s a hundred percent better than Trump. I just can’t vote for him because I don’t trust any kind of government-controlled system. I mean, I don’t understand how you have paper and electronic votes to count. That can get messy and ruin everything in a matter of seconds. How are they to keep track of everything? I’m just supposed to trust them? Those are my rights on the line. If there was some kind of tested fail proof system, that can absolutely guarantee the safety of each individual vote. I would vote. I don’t vote now because my vote could get lost or even corrupted. I can’t trust these random people who put themselves in charge.”
The second person I questioned had a few different views. He said,
“I don’t vote because every politician who runs for presidency has a chance of dying by tomorrow. How is an 80-year-old dementia-filled man supposed to run this country? They won’t let a woman do it. God forbid. The world is constantly changing every second of every day. We need to embrace this change, for the better. We cannot make this change illegal. It’s stopping people from living their lives. You have to be at least 35 years old to run for president. If younger people started stepping up with open eyes on the world, I might be open to make the change within myself.”
The Republican subjects had various reasons. My first interviewee said,
“In the 2020 election, Joe Biden versus Donald Trump, I voted for Donald Trump. It was my first time voting and Trump had already won presidency. I knew he would win again and I was finally old enough to get my voice out there. Unfortunately, my vote did not count since Joe Biden had won. I was heartbroken, I decided that if my vote does not matter what’s the point? Here comes the next messed up person who thinks they got what it takes to run an entire country. I feel as if politicians should receive open feedback from both parties and have open discussions with the entire nation. It says we are the people and they need to wake up and realize that. Until that day happens, I will not vote. Ever.”
My second interviewee was not a fan of Trump yet still a Republican, expressed the following:
“The voting system is so corrupt anyone can hack into online systems or use advanced AI technology. The work is changing and elections are getting smarter. Yet, people are creating these elections to be smarter. I do not like the ideas of computers taking over the world one day, but I feel as if we’re heading that way. A majority of this nation survives off of electricity. Light, phones, corporate systems, money, even cars! It’s outrageous. In a perfect world where everything was secured tight, I would vote. I don’t plan to unless my life depends on it.”
My last two interviews were with people from both parties who had the same agreement on disliking every candidate. My last Democratic interview said,
“Someone’s grandpa should not be running this country. This world is moving too fast for anyone older than the age of 60 to keep up. The world of society is not changing, people are just tired of hiding who they really are. All these laws coming into place does not stop thing from being illegal. Drugs are illegal and yet people still do drugs. Making guns, abortions, transgendered, and TikTok illegal does not stop these things from creating new harmful ways to overcome the law. It creates more danger for everyone. Everything is so wrong they think it’s right. They tell me my vote matters but it doesn’t. Smaller elections sure. State senator, mayor, local judges – yes, that matters and takes effect on me differently than the president. I do vote, but not for the president.”
My last Republican interviewee said,
“I have conservative republican beliefs to keep myself and my connection with God safe. I don’t vote because anyone can easily just assassinate the president. Anyone can take over and anyone can overthrow. Politics are just not the same anymore. I can’t comprehend how the best-case scenario is still the same people from 2020. Four years ago. I feel like I would vote if politicians stopped being so biased after their Election Day. Stop focusing on your one party, sit down with other parties and ask their points of view.”
All these statements made valid points, yet I don’t think a vote does not matter. I believe every vote matters, especially down to the very last line. One vote can change an entire election. I vote for big and small elections. They all impact me in different ways and I plan on keeping my beliefs that way. Yes, politics are very corrupt these days, however, this is all we have right now. With what little power I have with just my beliefs, I will protect myself from anything that comes my way. If the only options I have are the same two options from four years ago then, so be it. I’ll vote for what’s right for me.
