By: Carter Hass
As a campus community, we share core values. We believe that all people are created equal, immigrants make this state great, free healthcare is a human right, and so much more. Yet our set of core values cannot be upheld without action. Our passionate words have no teeth; they are useless in a system that mandates participation to effect change.
So, on November 3, I encourage you to take action: go vote.
Our generation is critically underrepresented in the U.S. political system because we choose not to participate. The Grand Bargain project outlined that in 2024, more than 40 million Gen Z adults were eligible to vote; only 20 million ended up doing so.
The political system we’re governed by represents all those who participate in it. We cannot have weight in a system we refuse to participate in. We have to vote.
And it’s not like we’re powerless.
What better example is there of our generation’s power than in Nepal, where members of Gen Z used Discord to coordinate and successfully overthrow the corrupt Nepalese Government. Our generation has an undeniable record of taking action.
A call to action on your Instagram story is no longer sufficient. We must knock doors, make calls, register voters, and get out the vote.
The deadline to register to vote in Minnesota is October 13. North Dakota has no voter registration. Just show up to the polls with a valid ID (driver’s license, permit, etc.), and you’re ready to go!
America needs our generation to take a stand. Be the change you’ve cried out for. Take action.
Go vote.
Carter Hass
Valley City
Major: Political Science
