Phoebe Lefebvre: Young Voters’ Voices Are More Important Than Ever

Phoebe Lefebvre is eligible to vote for the first time this year. And going into this election, she has a lot on her mind. YR Media brings her Perspective.

My mom and I have followed every news update on the election and spent weeks debating whether President Joe Biden would drop out of the race. We couldn’t imagine giving him or former President Donald Trump our votes. Hearing my phone ping, and seeing that Biden withdrew, felt like a breath of relief.

Current Vice President Kamala Harris entering the race has provided something that changed my view on voting in the upcoming election entirely: hope.

Harris has started to unite young Democrats across the country. Her track record shows support for issues that are important to Gen Z voters, like reproductive rights, gun safety and climate change.

But, I am still genuinely scared that Trump will be reelected. Trump’s destructive legacy in foreign and domestic policy, alongside his disregard for democratic and political norms concerns me.

I haven’t been surprised by how people discussed voting this year, especially how many people have considered not voting at all. But throwing away our votes doesn’t solve any problems, it just allows other’s voices to carry a disproportionate amount of weight.

The political climate in our country has had a suppressive, negative effect on both myself and many other young voters. But our voices are only powerless if we allow them to be. Putting our anger towards something productive is what’s going to make it effective and meaningful. We have to be willing to work towards change incrementally.

Young voters represent a diverse array of ideological perspectives that deserve to be reflected in office, and choosing to vote is the first step in that process. I want to protect, and have agency in our country’s democratic process and my own future. Now, I have hope that I can.

With a Perspective, I’m Phoebe Lefebvre.

Phoebe Lefebvre is 18 years old and from Oakland. Her Perspective was produced by YR Media.