SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Longtime voters who cast their ballots at Nottingham High School Tuesday evening expressed dismay at the youth’s lack of participation in this year’s election.
Christina Freeman, 30, who has voted in every election since she turned 18, said a friend, who teaches at Syracuse University, recently told her “a lot of his students aren’t voting.”
“That was very surprising to hear,” she said. “Gen Z and other generations below us are very quick to be critical of this (two-party) structure that we’re stuck with, and to hear that you’re not voting to be able to at least make minimal changes… is very disheartening.”
Young people today seem to think “this is a normal, safe or typical election,” said Hillary Tupper, 51, who has voted in nearly every election since she was 18.
“This is not typical,” she said. “There’s a lot of younger people that really haven’t been taught, don’t know, haven’t learned or haven’t lived through some really scary things. I’m concerned some of them don’t really understand.”
Derek Stewart, 53, who has voted in every election since he turned 18, said “it’s our duty to vote.”
“You can’t complain about stuff if you don’t participate in the process,” he said. “And a lot of people died for us to have the right to vote.”