TUCSON, Ariz. -- The voter registration deadline is coming up on October 5, and Pima Youth Vote is doing everything they can to get young voters registered.
Folks with the project say young people are striving for change, but add that change will only happen if they vote.
Jameel Beasley is part of Pima Youth Vote, a project by Cradle to Career partnership --through United Way Tucson-- that encourages young people to exercise their democratic right.
“We have a voice and we haven’t been really using it recently. Did you know that only 13% of 18-24 year olds vote in Arizona state elections?” Beasley told KGUN9.
He says those statistics need to improve.
“We need to change that tide. That’s why we’re not getting our voices heard. That’s why there’s outcry on issues,” he added.
Beasley is now a strong advocate for voting, but he didn’t always think making your voice heard made a difference.
“I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t even vote in the 2016 neither the 2018 elections. I used to be one of those people that thought my vote didn’t matter,” he said.
Though it does and he says it’s especially true for young voters.
“The youth vote is very important because we make up half of the voter population in this nation. We need to vote for candidates that can represent us and that can make a change in this country,” Beasley told KGUN9.
He says registering to vote is easy, but understands the voting process can be complicated.
“There’s just not a lot of information out there to help you know what candidate is out there. What information is out there for the voting initiatives,” he said.
This is when Pima Youth Vote steps in to help, providing videos on how to register to vote and information on voter rights.
“We want to have them get in that habit of voting. Not just for the Presidential election, that’s important too but also in local elections. These are the elections that matter because we can make a direct impact on our community and in our state,” he told KGUN9.
Click here, for more information on Pima Youth Vote.
