I kept it short and inexpensive hoping young adults would actually read it. Why write such a short book? What was your process? For one thing, their votes absolutely do matter, and even in so-called “red” states and “blue” states, margins are slim enough that the election can go in an unforeseen direction – if more people vote. I thought about what I could tell them that would inspire them to participate. Turnout for the 2020 election was higher, but still half of young adults did not vote. I wish they knew how much each individual vote does matter and that they can sway elections if they come out in large numbers. They also believed that government doesn’t work for them, that nobody cares about their issues and solutions they favor, particularly about student loan debt, climate action, and reproductive healthcare. They were bombarded with misinformation and conspiracy theories, and more importantly, they generally believed that their vote didn’t matter. I learned a great deal, but one outsized takeaway was that the younger generation was turned off not just by particular candidates and campaign vitriol but by the whole political climate. In 2017, I drove across the country to talk to non-voters about why they didn’t vote. I had a hard time believing that 40 percent of the electorate didn’t participate and help choose the next president of the United States. The 2016 presidential election really surprised me.
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