With the midterm elections in full swing, this question pops up quite a bit. Why should I care enough to vote? The answer, well, depends on who you ask. Statistically, older people tend to vote more than younger people. Is it because they care more? Or are they from a generation where voting actually matters? Once again, the answer is: it depends.

Ask a young person why they vote, or rather, why they don’t vote. Maybe you’ll hear something along the lines of “It doesn’t even matter” or “It doesn’t affect me, so why should I care?” Or maybe it’s because it’s so low on their priority list that it barely enters their consciousness. Have you ever listened in to what the topic of conversation is for this group of voters? I have, and anecdotally, it usually revolves around pop culture – the latest movie, the hottest singer, the hippest restaurant that serves a dish that can be posted on Instagram. On the flip side, I’ve also heard plenty of conversations about abortion and legalizing marijuana.

Have you ever happened to listen in on conversations older people have? Lots of complaining about the state of the world, and more often than not, how it impacts their wallet. Inflation, tax hikes, social issues pop up quite often. Even a conversation about the latest movie usually segways into how costly movie tickets are these days, or how pricey popcorn and soda are.

So, the question remains: why should I vote? Or more so, why should I care? Because eventually, it does and will impact you and yours. Voting is not a sprint. It’s not a one and done. The world is constantly changing, and unfortunately, most governments lag behind trying to correct themselves. Voting is a marathon – you have to keep doing it over and over and over, to make the issues you care about noticeable and relevant. Because the people that have opposing views from you? That’s exactly what they’re doing.