The fact that some new voters don’t care or haven’t done a considerable amount of research surrounding candidates in the approaching election has nothing to do with their age. There are just as many adults as there are 18-year-olds who participate in elections and abuse their right to vote. There will always be ignorant voters, regardless of the age range. Besides, the 26th Amendment grants young adults the right to vote, and that right should not be taken for granted.

Having 18-year-olds vote in the upcoming election may in fact be a good thing — the more people vote, the less every vote counts. This may not sound appealing at first, but if everyone who is eligible to vote does vote, it’s ;ess likely that a small group of motivated and extremist voters will influence the outcome.

Another thing worth mentioning is that by avoiding the privilege of voting, young adults are not taking advantage of their rights. In certain other parts of the world, some citizens don’t have the opportunity to vote in their country and would give anything to be able to. Citizens in the U.S., however, have this right, so they should not neglect it. And chances are if feckless teens don’t vote in this election, they probably won’t care enough to vote in the next election. It’s likely, though, that at some point in the distant future, they will be inclined to vote — if only to say they did.  But having grown up apathetic toward politics, such adults will probably not have sufficient understanding of their responsibilities as voters.  Personally, I would be embarrassed if I were a 40-year-old woman who did not know how to properly select a candidate for public office. If negligent 18-year-olds ignore their responsibility as voters, they’re hurting not only themselves but also the country.

If we think about whom the government is going to affect most, it is the new voters. Yes, a change in government will all U.S. citizens, but older citizens inevitably have less of their lives to live — and less time to live under the government’s rule. On the other hand, 18-year-olds have a majority of their lives in front of them. Because of this, it is only smart that younger voters assert themselves in elections .

Young citizens of eligible age must vote in order to have any say in their future. Avoiding the right to vote gives the impression that the future is not of concern — and the future of the U.S. should be of concern to every American citizen.