CRISSA NELSON | editor-in-chief

In the upcoming election, California's youth have a powerful voice.

On Feb. 5, Californians have an opportunity to create change. The winner of the most delegates determined by the state primary elections will be granted their political party’s nomination, and the opportunity for a face-to-face showdown on Nov. 3, ultimately resulting in the next President of the United States.

The California primary election is not to be taken lightly. From this slate of candidates our next president will be chosen. As America’s youth, we need to recognize this crucial privilege and responsibility to voice our educated vote for the nation’s future leadership.

We are now legal adults who will be directly impacted by political decisions on health care, the environment, tax reform and social projects; we can impact these decisions with our commitment to vote for the candidate of our choice.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are almost 30 million U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 24, almost 20 percent of the total eligible voters. Less than half of those eligible voters cast ballots in the 2000 and 2004 elections, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).

Junior business major Eric Lattin voiced the frustration of many youth on whether his one vote really makes a difference, especially when he does not have the time nor desire to research his decision properly.

Fortunately, this statistic seems to be changing. The recent turnout of youth voters in this election is proving the impact we have on the future of our country.

Following the Iowa Caucus, the first primary election of the season, the media buzzed with talk of the unexpected victory of Barack Obama and greatly attributed this to a surge of youth voters.

An article in TIME Magazine by David Von Drehle records a huge 135 percent increase of, under 25-years-old, Democratic voters in Iowa.

Entrance polls determined that these young voters preferred Obama 4 to 1, which accounted for 17,000 Obama votes. Obama won the caucus by a margin of 20,000 votes. Clearly, the youth vote counted.

So, if our vote does count, how do we decide whom to vote for? Politics can be a nasty game of strategic language and decisive promises driven toward distinguishing one candidate from another. But authenticity can be found, although it sometimes takes some searching.

For starters, we all have passions. Identify what yours are and then listen to what the candidates have to say about them.

Former 12-term congressman Tony Hall from Ohio has been actively devoted to his passion to fight global poverty throughout his political career, stemming from his desire to live out his faith and Jesus’ call to care for the poor. He recalls Mother Theresa’s response when he asked her, “’the problems of the world are so vast. How can you possibly hope to solve them?’ ‘You do the thing that’s in front of you,’ she replied.”

In his book, Changing the Face of Hunger, Hall strongly advocates the power every individual has to make a difference in the world through individual humanitarian efforts as well as through politics.

But for many youth still feeling some disconnect from the “system,” merging these two is difficult. Lattin says he cares about these issues on a humanitarian level, just not the political system.

“I care about poverty,” Lattin said. “I care about equality. But I’m not into the whole politics thing. It’s just not my thing.”

But Hall emphasizes the importance of exercising the right and responsibility we have to vote, especially for the issues you strongly care about.

“If you neglect that right, you’re going to get people in leadership that are not doing any good for these causes, they are not going to address these issues,” Hall said.

Politics can be a powerful tool in the right hands. While we may feel too small to do more than the thing that’s in front of us, our vote can ensure we have leaders who will take this power and responsibility seriously.

Whether it is the hungry in Ethiopia, in Hollywood or down the street; ending the war in Iraq and bringing our troops home safely; ensuring all children in America, whether their parents are legal citizens or illegal immigrants, get the opportunity to learn in school and can afford to continue their education; politicians need to feel the pressure from voters to take action.

These are not social and humanitarian issues that only non-profit, non-governmental organizations address. These are political issues that you have the power to change.

Apathy and naivety have kept Americans from exercising the right to fight for their passions and to call for change and action that will bring about true justice. When vote-seeking politicians know that their voters care about these issues, they will take action.

“They respect you,” Hall said. “You are the voters, and [politicians] respond to votes.”

Just as we can become complacent to ward poverty and hunger, blinded by our full cabinets and refrigerators, we can also become complacent to the opportunity that we have to voice our opinions and create change.

Yet with this right and privilege, comes great responsibility. As we are seeing in this current presidential election season, the voice of the youth is a powerful voice that will resonate strongly in the results.

But it’s up to us, the youth of California, to take the initiative to let our voices be heard in this essential primary election.

If we say we are apathetic toward politics, we are saying we are apathetic toward a better future and a better life for ourselves and for all those throughout the world who are impacted by our political decision makers.