With the 2024 election approaching fast, it is more important than ever to ensure Gen Z is taking advantage of their new ability to participate in the democratic process. Around 40 million total members of Gen Z will be able to vote this November, and while most people don’t think of Nebraska as being an important battleground state, these votes could have more of an impact than many realize.
Many high school seniors will have the opportunity to do their part in the presidential race, and it is crucial that they register to do so. The outcome of this election will impact more than just the presidency. The future president will likely have the opportunity to appoint more justices to the Supreme Court. It is highly speculated that the older Republicans on the court will step down in favor of adding younger party members, and it isn’t impossible new Democratic justices could be added as well. New members added to the court by the incoming president would have a vast impact on not only our generation, but our children’s generation. Justices are appointed, not elected, meaning that casting a ballot for president is the best way to protect both the immediate and distant future.
In 2020, Gen Z voters were crucial difference makers in swing states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia. With such close projections for the upcoming election, Gen Z could have a similar impact in Nebraska.
While nearly every state uses a winner-takes-all system for the electoral college, Nebraska (and Maine) go a different route. Two of our five electoral votes follow the traditional method, going to the popular winner in the state. The other three, however, rely upon the popular vote of each congressional district. Most of Omaha and its suburbs lie in District Two, an area in which many Millard South seniors reside.
While extremely unlikely, it isn’t impossible that this year’s election could come down to the single vote that the second district produces. Depending on the outcomes in other key battleground states, Nebraska’s split vote could skyrocket in importance.
Although Nebraska has been painted red on electoral maps since 1968, in recent years District Two has gone against the rest of the state. In the last four elections, District Two has been split evenly, with Democratic victories in 2008 and 2020 and Republican victories in 2012 and 2016.
In short, every vote matters. Nebraska isn’t nationally known as a swing state, and while that is undeniably true, the split-vote system allows us to still make a difference. Many younger voters choose not to register because they are under the impression they won’t change the election, but that mindset could be detrimental.
Millard South students have a unique opportunity that could make all the difference in the upcoming election, and it is equally important to realize that taking part in the democratic process is a lifetime commitment. Change starts small, and Gen Z has the opportunity to launch change by voting for local and state candidates such as school board representatives, mayor, congress members, senators, etc. in addition to the major elections like president. America’s future lies in the hands of Gen Z voters, and hopefully the opportunity will be seized.
