In the 2020 presidential election, only an estimated 50% of people ages 18-29 voted. It was an 11 percentage point increase from the previous election, but still lagged behind older voters. We approached USC students to find out why.
For some USC students who said they won’t be voting in this election, like sophomore human biology major Oliver Leinberg, finding time to cast a ballot can be overwhelming.
“I haven’t really put in the time to register, which I probably should have,” he said.
Like Leinberger, junior Patrick Franco has not yet explored his voting options, and does not plan to register to vote in this election.
“I feel like I’m busy, but I feel like that’s also a poor excuse,” Franco said. “Sometimes I don’t feel like I’m educated enough to make a valid vote.”
He said he hopes that voting will be digitized one day, making it easier for people who do not want to take time out of their day to vote in person or drop off their ballot at a nearby post office or ballot drop-box.
“If there was, like, a link I could just click on and then send it in, that’d be perfect,” Franco said. “Scheduling a portion out of my day to go to a place to cast my vote seems like a lot.”
It’s not just students who have reservations about voting. Natalie Turcious, who works in USC security, also said she wished the process to vote was simpler.
“Make an app about how to vote,” Turcious said. “Your whole life is on the phone, so why can’t politics be dumbed down for the people that are on those phones?”
For USC alum John Cabanis, his unwillingness to vote in this election stemmed from his faith.
“I am a Christian, and I kind of object to the morality of both candidates for different reasons,” he said.
Cabanis said he felt that both parties “will play whatever game they need to play” to pander to Christian sensibilities, but neither followed through with their values.
“When I have them trying to appeal to my Christian faith, and I see that their actions don’t evidence that they actually believe these things, it makes it very hard for me to want to vote for them,” Cabanis said. “And both sides do it.”
Cabanis keeps an open mind for future presidential elections and can see himself voting in the future.
“I’m sure it is possible that there will be someone to vote for, and regardless of whether or not they’re actually a Christian, moral good can still come from electing these people,” said Cabanis. “It’s just this year, I’m not convinced by them, but maybe perhaps in the future, I will be.”
Another common reason why students don’t vote is because they think it doesn’t matter.
Business major Frank Marroquin said California always votes blue, so his vote would not make an impact.
“I don’t have time,” he said. “I feel like other people will take care of that.”
Even some who have registered to vote said they have found it hard to fill out the ballot.
“I got a mail-in ballot, but I never filled it out, and I think it’s too late,” said Sophia Stolkey, a graduate student in media studies. “I’m just so overwhelmed with school, so it was hard for me to keep track of that, especially with mixed feelings about the whole thing.”
Beyond logistical challenges in voting, Stolkey said she doesn’t feel a strong pull towards either presidential candidate.
“I don’t want to vote for either of the two major party candidates, and I’m just not super well informed,” she said. “I feel like I’ve heard enough from both of them to the point where I don’t feel confident in either.”
Stolkey is from a rural town in Arkansas where she said most people cast their votes in-person, so she has never voted by mail before.
Though she has not yet voted, she urges people to look beyond the main presidential race, and focus on local elections and policies instead.
“I just feel like so much reporting is done on the presidential candidates to a point where these overshadow some of the more local races that are happening,” said Stolkey.
For senior Lindsay Huerta, who will vote by mail, being from California has a number of advantages. However, she acknowledged that voting is much less accessible for students from outside of the state.
“I know two people who aren’t able to vote because they’re from out of state, and Texas voided their ballots, so they can’t afford to go home and vote in-person,” she said.
She also said a lot of the information included on the ballot, including information about ballot measures and initiatives, can be confusing, especially for first-time voters.
“I think when you’re presented with a document with so many things that you’re not understanding, you’re inclined to not want to deal with it and not vote,” Huerta said. “In that way, it can be more accessible.”
Langa, a biochemistry student, has also found the process for in-state voters to be relatively easy.
“If you’re in California, I’m going to say I would advocate for voting,” Langa said. “Especially because we have the [ballot initiative] system, which is pretty unique to our state, and it allows you to make real change with your vote.”
Though they said they empathize with people who have hesitations about voting.
“I think especially for young people, it can be really easy to not vote because it’s new and you don’t really have time,” they said. “But I think this election is uniquely important. We really need to get the young vote out.”
And while some students may have reservations about voting, Marisabella Diaz, a sophomore theater major, said she would eagerly vote if she could. However, since her permanent residence is in Puerto Rico, she cannot vote in federal elections. Puerto Ricans living in one of the 50 states or Washington D.C. can, however, vote in federal elections.
“I don’t have the right to vote, but the elections directly affect my country,” Diaz said. “I encourage everyone to vote to stand up for those people who don’t have the power to vote, or don’t have the courage to.”
Election day is on Tuesday November 5th, but voters can still fill out their ballots early. The closest voting center to campus is located in the USC Village at 3215 S. Hoover St. To send in a ballot by mail, voters can either drop their ballot in a ballot-drop box — there’s one by the parking structure of the Village — or send it at a nearby post office.
For more information, visit lavote.gov and USC Votes.