Voting matters, youth told

TSÉBIGHÁHOODZÁNÍ

While most young people in the U.S. don’t vote, Ty Thompson said many young voters under 30 are hungry for new blood and fresh ideas.

“It’s very important for the younger generation to get out and vote because it matters,” said the Diné youngster who is a member of Apache Skateboards’ The A-Team.

“You will go for the future,” she said. “That’s where voting comes in. And if we vote, it’ll make a difference.”

Thompson, who’s been riding for Apache for three years, said the first time she went to the polls, she was younger and didn’t know much about political leadership.

“At the dinner table, (my family) talked about politics and who was running,” she said. “Once I had the knowledge, I went to (vote) at my local chapter house. I saw so many names and thought, ‘This is like a test. I should have done my research further into this.’”

Thompson said because she experienced generational tensions driving her frustration, she started paying more attention to politics and those running for office.

“For first-time voters, it’s a little nerve-wracking, but you’re stuck in time,” she said. “So, young people need to do some research because you’re voting for someone, and you have to have knowledge.”

Thompson said young Diné need to start reading and engaging in politics and be active because voting is a habit formed over time.

“Definitely tune into the radio stations and listen to what your parents say and read the newspapers,” she added. “And listen to who’s running for (office) and pay attention to the words they have to say.”

Habitual voter

Janice Benally of Tódinéeshzhee’ says she doesn’t see many young people vote and often wonders what can be done about it.

Benally said she knows people of all ages are influenced by what they see their friends and peers doing.

And voting for the first or second time may also be more complicated than voting in subsequent elections.

“The (young people) were more into skateboarding,” Benally said. “I don’t see the young people concerned about voting – are they interested? Are they not? It’s the elders who know more about it.”

Benally says the “Skate to the Polls” rally on Aug. 13 suggested a call for Generation Z and millennial voters who’ve been at the forefront of political movements for generations. And that voter turnout in the Navajo Nation among people under 30 has been low.

“When they (young people) become teenagers, they need to educate themselves about the (tribal and federal) government and talk about it in school,” she added.

“Teachers need to let them know and stress it to them,” she said. “But they really need to know what voting is, and it’ll help them later in their lives.”

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