Last Sunday, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark hosted its annual voting event. This event consisted of a film screening, a panel discussion, and performances by the band Bathe.

Donna Walker Kuhne, the senior advisor of diversity, equity, and inclusion at NJPAC, put together the event. She says voter registration in New Jersey is very low, and events like this are created to educate people on voting and how it directly impacts them.

”The voter registration rates in New Jersey, Essex County in particular, are extremely low. The NAACP chapter is really trying to get people to vote… With low voter registration, we get very little consideration in Congress, and that’s where the power is…We know that there are certainly many people here who can register, so what is missing? What don’t they understand? Why don’t they feel that this is important? That’s why every year we present some aspect of voting,” said Walker Kuhne.

The film “The Young Vote” took viewers on the journey of a diverse group of adults who, during the 2020 election, took action in their communities to understand young people’s perceptions of voting and civic engagement. 

They highlighted that about 39% of young adults voted in the 2016 election and they needed to make a change. Data shows that in 2020 about 50% of young adults turned up for the election showing an 11% increase. 

What could be the reason for this increase? Why should people care to vote? These questions and more were answered by the panelist who joined Kai Wright on his live podcast Notes from America with Kai Wright live on WNYC.

Each of the panelists brought something different to the conversation and Rachel Janfa, a journalist, addressed that young people may be perceived as opposites of older generations, but may still share similar values.

“There are a range of issues that young people care about but I think.. there are things that make this generation stand out, but there’s also some similarities with older generations too and the economy is one of those things,” said Janfa. 

Kai highlighted that this generation is more racially and ethnically diverse than previous generations and potentially the most educated. 

“Despite all of the political frustration and disaffection that we’re discussing, there are young people who are tuning in, who are deciding to put their foot in the pool and make a difference. I hear this all the time, while there is this immense disaffection, there is not disillusionment. Despite the fact that young people are so fed up I believe that their going to be the ones that can change it, that can make a difference,” said Janfa.  

Askar Mirza, the commissioner of Ridgefield New Jersey is a testimony of young people tuning in and deciding to do something. At 19 years old he is the youngest commissioner of his community.

”I was raised with the belief that those who can must. If you have an opportunity to make a positive change in your community, I feel as though you have an obligation to and it has been very rewarding,” said Mirza. 

Mirza addressed that it’s the lack of knowledge from young people that may lead them to believe voting is not important to them.

”These small local level issues get so often overshadowed by these big national questions, especially in a year like this. Everyone knows who’s running for president, does everyone know who’s running for office in their town? Who’s running for office at the county level? These are the people that are making the decisions that will impact you much more directly than whoever the president of the United States is,” said Mirza. 

Alexis Williams, a social justice content creator also joined Kai on stage and brought to light the other options listed on a ballot that young adult voters may not even be aware of. 

”So many people don’t think that their vote matters or that their vote counts… so many people when they look at their ballot and they see what’s at the top of the ticket and make their way down after voting for real people, they’ll in a lot of states see ballot measures. A lot of these young voters don’t even know what that is. They go into the ballot box and their like I didn’t know I was voting for something other than human beings. But, those ballot measures are such an important way that you do get really active in your local politics,” said Williams.

This event left no room for ignorance. It gave a voice to the young people Of Gen Z  and proved that young people are not a monolith when it comes to politics.