Politically speaking, I was born at the wrong time. I am seven months short of being able to vote in the 2024 Presidential Election. I am writing to compel you, my classmates who will be eighteen in November, to register and vote.

You represent all the rest of us at City High School who are not of age to vote but who truly have a stake in the future.

According to The New York Times, young people aged 18 to 29 vote at lower rates than older people. This is tragic. We young people have something to say that older people don’t necessarily understand. Older people may forget the concerns they had when they were young. They may not worry about school safety, about finding a career in a computerized economy, the right to healthcare, or the right to religious freedom. In the future of society, our concerns are very important. There are so many issues that will, and have already, had a significant impact on our education and our lives.

In the 2020 Election, the votes were very close in the state of Iowa, according to The Des Moines Register.

Iowa may be a swing state this year, which means that every vote counts.

This election is crucial to the future of our country, and for perhaps the first time, it is possible that young people are going to make a difference.

Although all of us at City have issues at stake, the majority of us will not be able to do anything. So many of us wish we could vote. The select few of you at City who will have turned 18 by November 2nd: you bear the significant responsibility of representing the rest of us. Please register and please vote on November 5.

This election, whichever the outcome, will likely alter the course of history. Your choice is clear enough. Rest assured, we will be watching you.

How to register in Iowa | Vote.gov