OPINION: How does the background of the voter enhance the vote?
Photo via: TNP Staff
It’s irking to hear people of voting age say they, “don't get into politics.” Every simple debate has a political undertone, especially when politics engulf our country. That said, it’s easy to pick up on which way someone would vote in the next election, especially when you know something about them.
There are multitudes of factors that go into the voter’s decision, not even including the candidate. Sometimes, those factors are obvious, and sometimes they are so subtle that the voter themself does not see their effects.
Social media has a big influence on society. Since its creation, social media has connected those who would never have been connected previously. It also offers an alternate way of obtaining information and news as it happens. Gen Z, the newest generation of voters, seems to have gotten the best and worst side effects of this. The best scenario for being online is the increased ability of media literacy. People who read the posts on social media platforms are less susceptible to falling for fake news, one of the negative side effects of fake news. This is seen more on Facebook and with older voters. Older voters will often fall for AI or fake news and take it as fact. They have this false sense of trust in the social media platform. This could lead them to be uninformed about real politics.
Now let’s talk about what I just laid before you and why it’s important to your vote. Politicians are sleazy and hypocritical. They will not tell you everything, but they aren’t good at hiding it either. I didn’t know JD Vance was from Middletown, Ohio, until I saw a post on TikTok explaining that Middletown wasn’t part of Appalachian Ohio. That’s because someone on the platform made a tell-all video highlighting important parts of his career that they thought people should know. So, people on social media are more inclined to vote consciously.
Where a person grew up is a big indicator of their political identity. It’s no contest that someone who grew up in a rural community would favor a candidate they feel seen by. Rural communities often feel left behind by big cities' fast, bustling progress. That’s why they look for candidates that hold them in mind. Sometimes, this isn’t one of the two parties. On drives to Trenton, Ohio, a rural town I frequently visit, I often see posters and yard signs for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. I was always interested in the fascination with him that I simply had to look into what policies residents loved about him. I found that RFK Jr. holds many policies that hit the hearts of small towns. When he was running, Kennedy Jr. promised to take down the corporations that were hurting the environment that farmers used to grow their livelihood.
In contrast, individuals who grew up in the fast, bustling cities mentioned before are often more left-leaning. They want progress. They see lots of things you don’t often see in a rural community. They see the homeless, the hungry, the powerful and the powerless all trying to live in the same place. Cities are also the most diverse places in the nation. Some might say it’s because there’s such a concentration of highly- educated individuals all living in one place. Others might say it’s because cities are often economic centers. Depending on whom you are talking to, the reason might change, but the consensus tells us that city folk like to vote blue.
Your media diet says a lot about you. It’s often heard that those who watch Fox News usually only watch Fox News. This isn’t wrong, per se. The media diet of those who conform to this just needs to be diversified. It’s important to have multiple trusted sources to gather news from, especially now that media biases are growing stronger than ever. A strong media diet will equal a politically informed voter.
Informing your vote is different for many people. It can include reading policies, traveling to rallies, and a multitude of other ways. However, policy language can be hard to understand, and traveling to rallies can be expensive. Ways to inform your vote can include having a diverse media diet, media literacy, especially within social media, speaking with representatives and learning about what your state needs to thrive, and learning about candidates through websites, research, and news.
Now, I’ve just laid out many different parts of the lives of Americans and put them into tiny boxes. The point of this is not to constrict the voter to one singular choice based on which boxes they check. The point is to let Americans know there is no right or wrong way to vote, but there is a right way to inform your vote. Things like gaining new experiences by traveling, becoming informed by multiple sources and learning media literacy are all ways Americans can inform their vote this election season.