I have been waiting for November 2008 since I was in the 5th grade. It was during the presidential election of 2000 when I learned I could vote for the next leader of our country upon becoming 18 years of age. I remember monitoring the election on my computer and watching the lead continually change between the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. Ever since then, I felt the power of the vote, and I assumed every other young person shared a similar view to mine. I was mistaken.

Here’s what it boils down to: politicians won’t waste campaign money and time. It’s simple. They are practicing the good ol’ golden rule. Teenagers show them no respect, because we don’t vote. In return, they don’t care about our thoughts. And why should they, when only 9% of 18-24 year olds participate in elections?

Recently, I took part in an informal experiment illustrating this point. I attended a high school journalism workshop at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg focusing exclusively on the 2008 presidential election. The leaders of the workshop asked our rather diverse group of teenagers what we thought were the main issues being discussed in the current political debates. The answer: the war in Iraq and healthcare. Next, the teens were asked to tell the lecturers what issues mattered most to their age group. The environment, moral leadership and education were our primary concerns. The concept of making your voice heard through voting became crystal clear after this brief experiment.

I’m not the only one urging my peers to vote. The trend to target teenagers is on the move. MTV recognizes the importance of young voters, dedicating an entire webpage to the 2008 presidential election. Their clever pitch, ‘Choose or Lose’ encourages teens to voice their opinion through voting. Additionally, MTV recently teamed up with MySpace in an attempt to expand this promotional message.

Moreover, just about everyone has heard of the popular “Rock the Vote” pitch. Founded in 1990, the mission of Rock the Vote is to demonstrate the political power of young people. Rock the Vote even has a link on their website so teens can register to vote.

Do you know that students can also register to vote at East Lake and that registrations are available every school year? In April, SGA elections take place. You can take a short walk to our theatre and register to vote for the 2008 election while letting your voice be heard for your own student government. It really is that simple.
It doesn’t require the twisting of an arm and leg anymore if teenagers want to register. Governor Charlie Crist recently signed a law giving 16 year olds the right to pre-register for voting when they apply for a Florida driver’s license. This means there is absolutely no excuse why any sophomore with a driving permit shouldn’t register. The right to vote should be as essential as the privilege to drive.

I’m only 17-years-old, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know what’s going on in our country. I read the newspapers. I watch the news. I check out information via reliable news sources online. I am only one person, but I have opinions and can make informed decisions. That’s the point: one person can make a difference.

If you sincerely care about your future and your country, do something about it. Even if you can’t vote in the 2008 election, register to vote and start paying careful attention to political debates. It’s not just a group of candidates talking about all that “government junk.” It is the direction our country may be headed, and you need to let your thoughts be known. Don’t whine about candidates or government policies if you don’t partake in the election process. So come November 4, 2008 my voice will be heard. The question is…will yours?