Young Voters Revitalizing Our Democracy

The following commentary is by Sen. Steve Cwodzinski of Senate District 48, which covers parts of Chanhassen, Eden Prairie and Minnetonka:

The bedrock of a strong democracy is the act of voting. Each citizen has the awesome responsibility to cast their ballot to choose our leaders and to create a government for the people by the people. It is easy to not vote, but that only leads to an alienated, apathetic, uneducated and uninformed populace. A disengaged, disinterested, disconnected and dismissed populace is no way nearing the “More perfect union” our Framers presented to the world.

With so much talk of pending doom and devastation, I saw a glimmer of hope recently in The Star Tribune. In the 2018 elections, Minnesota voters between the ages of 18 and 29 had a turnout rate 43.7 percent, the best in the nation and a full 20 percent higher than the 2014 midterm elections. We need to listen to our young people, they are showing us the way and leading by example.

The rise in the youth turnout is a cause for celebration and is great news for Minnesota and the entire country. Millennials are not apathetic but are instead using their power and getting involved in finding solutions to the major issues we face. They are speaking and fighting on behalf of all of us on issues like gun violence prevention, climate change, the opioid crisis, and injustice.

Whether you’re voting in your first election or your 20th, Secretary of State Steve Simon deserves a sincere thank you for his work in making sure voting is a priority for every Minnesotan. He has used every tool at his disposal to improve the process for voting in our state so it’s easy and accessible and has led the way in making sure we remain a national leader in turnout.

One of the ways he’s worked to instill good voting habits is with a statewide mock election, the first of which was held in 2016. Held again in 2018, this mock election instills habits of voting and provides a practical civics education for our students.

I taught for over 33 years the importance of getting out there and making a difference; that freedom of thought is the obligation to think for yourself; that freedom of speech is the responsibility to speak out; that freedom of expression is the duty to act; and yes, the freedom to choose your elected officials requires a great deal of effort and energy and time.

It was always my goal to instill these critical citizenship skills in our students, so they could recognize their power and responsibility to be engaged and enlightened citizens. In 2018, we saw them use that power, and I know that it is only the beginning.