You can't run for president, but you sure can vote

(The age requirement to run for president is 35, but you can vote at the ripe age of 18.)

There've been plenty of explanations as to why the 2016 presidential election resolved in the way that it did. Some blame Russia for supporting Trump. Trump blames Ukraine for supporting Clinton. Democrats blame Republicans for voter suppression. The Democrats blame Democrats for overconfidence leading to low voter turnout. Republicans somehow blame Obama. So on and so forth.

Pinpointing the exact explanation for something this complex seems futile.

What we can see clearly, however, is the effect the 2016 election had on voter participation, particularly among people under 30.

Our focus here is on the unusual results of the 2018 midterm elections and what we can learn from them.

Note the zig-zag pattern. Source.

Midterm elections don't attract nearly as much attention as presidential elections. Voter turnout, therefore is relatively limited. This difference in participation is present across all demographics, but to varying degrees -- according to CIRCLE, The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, the difference in turnout between presidential and midterm elections is "consistently more pronounced" among the younger demographic. The 18-29 crowd also has the lowest rate of voter participation in general.

Check out that jump at the end! Source.

Way back in the 2010 midterms, 20.3% of young people voted, and while other age groups averaged at 48.5%. In 2014, only 16.3% of people 18-29 voted, and the average for the other age groups was 42%. Then we come to 2018. Young voter turnout jumped to 32.6%, and 56% was the average participation for other age groups.

So, what happened? Why did the percentage of young midterm voters double between 2014 and 2018?

Well, the 2016 election happened. It was controversial, to say the least. There was disappointment among young Democrats who overwhelmingly voted for Bernie Sanders in the primaries, only to see him lose to DNC favorite Hillary Clinton. Comparing President Trump's approval ratings by age group show that people age 18-29 have been the least supportive throughout his presidency.

These statistics signal that young Americans have opinions, but those opinions have not been represented in government. This led to action in 2018.

The midterm results, following the highest voter turnout since 1914, brought on a wave of record-setting diversity:

"...there are 15% more women in this Congress than there were last session. There are now a record number of women of color in the House. There are also a slew of firsts: Congress will get its first Native American women, Muslim women, and youngest female member ever."

- NPR, "What it looks like to have a record number of women in the House of Representatives"

Young people are said to be impressionable. Well, what was 'impressed' upon us in 2016 is that it is very important to vote. What we learned in 2018 is that our votes can really make a difference. Register to vote online, learn about how to vote on election day, and then go vote!

You usually get a cool sticker afterwards.