Originally posted on rockthevote.com on November 8, 2011
by Coral 

The Millennial generation has the makings of a powerful political force. After all, we have occupied Wall Street, made an indispensable impact on the 2008 election, and have been the first to utilize new technologies provided by the Internet. However, a new poll released by the Young Invincibles and Demos on the economic challenges facing 18 to 34 year-olds shows that most people in my generation see the future as bleak. With an inadequate employment rate and over half of the employed feeling that they need more hours and higher pay, I cannot blame my generation for its pessimism.

So, what can we do to turn our gloomy situation around? I believe that the Millennial generation needs to get out and vote. As a 19-year-old, the upcoming 2012 presidential election will be the first election I will be able to participate in. I am so excited to head to polls and have a voice in my future in the form of a vote.

According to the poll, 48 percent of young adults feel that their generation may be worse off than their parents. As a result, young people have strong opinions about what Congress should keep as their top priority. 81 percent said that creating jobs and growing the economy should be its number one priority. While this is nice to think about, I don’t know how it will be accomplished if more people do not head to the polls and vote for the leaders who will keep this issue in the forefront of their work.

For a young person, the future is a scary place. This idea motivates me to vote as the issues that shape my future, yet are out of my hands, must be handled carefully by the government we hand pick. Despite our bleak outlook, the Young Invincibles and Demos poll also shows that 77 percent of young people believe that through education and hard work, people may still be able to achieve the American Dream. Despite the drab economy, it’s nice to know that we have resounding hope. Let’s keep this hope afloat by participating in our democracy.