Turn (out) the vote

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re likely well-aware that the presidential election is in full swing. Political pundits and the 24/7 news media have never had more dramatic campaign coverage, which seems to be closer to Kardashian-esque reality television than true political news coverage.

While the media and the cameras have consistently been chasing the presidential candidates and the latest campaign stories, young Americans have been less reliable. According to Nate Silver’s poll-aggregator FiveThirtyEight, voters under the age of 25 made up slightly more than the Latino U.S. electorate, at approximately 9 percent in the 2012 election. They also heavily favored Obama, at a dramatic 29 points higher than Romney.

Clinton’s presidential run isn’t receiving the same support from voters under the age of 25. In fact, a comparison of Clinton’s margin over Trump (13 points) and Obama’s net approval rating (32 points) shows a negative 18 points difference for voters under the age of 25. Across the board, voters that traditionally supported Obama favor Clinton, except for voters under the age of 25.

So what’s going on with the young people? Young voters are generally less drawn to a President Hillary Clinton than a President Barack Obama. They are less likely to actively vote for Clinton and are also increasingly leaning towards voting for third-party candidates. Reports from Atlantic magazine indicates that of voters under the age of 30, at least one-third support Gary Johnson or Jill Stein.[1]

As Duke students, we fall solidly in the 18-25 age range that will significantly impact this election. As voters who can register to vote in North Carolina, our voters will count in one of the most heavily weighted swing states of this election. Current analysis of North Carolina predicts that the state has an 8.4 percent chance of tipping the election with a 1.6-point lead for Trump.

Although the number is always changing, the chance of Clinton winning is currently sitting at approximately 54 percent and Trump winning are 45 percent. In this incredibly close election, it has never been more important for young people, and Duke students, to get out and vote.

If you need motivation to understand how truly important your vote could be, just consider these few facts, which seemed to have entered Facebook newsfeed conversations. In 2008, President Obama won North Carolina by approximately 14,177 votes. That same year, the Duke community cast approximately 10,000 votes. Think about that. Our school turned out enough voters to comprise up to approximately 2/3 of the margin. This means that our votes have never been more important or impactful.

So how do you actually make sure that come November you’re ready to vote? I’ll use the rest of my space for my column to list the steps (as outlined by Duke Student Affairs) to register to vote:

If you live on Central Campus, write your street address (Durham, NC 27705).

If you live off-campus, write your street address.

If you have moved from East Campus to West Campus or Central Campus, you need to update your registration. If you have moved off-campus, you also need to update your registration. For your mailing address, be sure to use your Duke PO box, central or off-campus address.

2. Go to Vondy/the Perk/Saladia @ The Perk/that café in the big library (it’s all the same) on Thursdays and Sundays from 2-5pm, as there will be student groups present to help seamlessly register voters through a quick paper-application process.

3. Get out there and vote during the early voting period on-campus from Oct. 27 to Nov. 5, to register on-site and vote using your Student ID as proof of address.

Shruti Rao is a Trinity junior. Her column, “taming of the shru,” runs on alternate Wednesdays.