Voting is a Privilege

I come from an immigrant household, and it honestly breaks my heart to see the way that my people are being treated.

With everything going on politically, one of the biggest privileges of our generation is having your voice heard. We’re still able to express ourselves and talk about what’s going on in the world.

I like knowing what’s going on with state and local elections because it directly affects us. To have my voice heard in matters that relate to my people— it would be a disservice to not vote.

You might think your vote doesn’t count, but at the end of the day, it really does. You’re letting the government know, “This is where I stand, this is what I believe in and this is what I want.”

If you’re at a restaurant and you don’t want to eat burnt fries, you send them back. So, why wouldn’t you stand up for yourself with your vote? Voice your opinion and voice what you want.

People don’t vote because they don’t fully understand what’s going on. The first step is providing information, which is really impactful for people who don’t know what they’re voting for.

My older sister wasn’t really informed and she didn’t know if she should vote. When I explained what was going on, she ended up voting. I was actually shocked because she’s hard to convince.

We need to educate people about what’s on the ballot. Just looking at a ballot can be overwhelming at times, so it’d be amazing if could be simplified and easy to understand.

— Vivian Murillo-Villa, 19, Detroit