I spent Sunday morning on Youtube, watching Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” make every possible joke he could about the 2016 presidential race. I do not usually watch Youtube videos all morning, but I enjoyed the comedic side to politics after viewing the Republican debate on Saturday. Late night talk show hosts have been satirizing the news for decades, and according to NBC, one out of every 10 Americans got their political news from late night television during the 2000 election. One clip that stood out to me was Colbert discussing the merchandise candidates have for sale, including Rand Paul phone cases, Hillary Clinton beer cozies and Bernie Sanders mugs encouraging buyers to “feel the Bern.” Another segment featured Clinton’s attempts to connect with millennials by asking them to tweet how their student debt made them feel in three emojis or less. Colbert’s segments are obviously intended to be comical, but they made me to wonder. Will beer cozies and ’90s-sitcom-inspired logos attract millennial voters? Will college-aged students “feel the Bern” and vote? Can Donald Trump win over voters 30 and under, when 43 percent of them identify with one or more minority groups?



2016 will be the first year I, my classmates and thousands (millions?) of other millennials vote. I hear people say they will not be voting because “their vote does not matter.” But millennial votes could ultimately decide the winner.
Everyone needs to vote because every vote does matters. Here is how to register to vote in Wisconsin:
Fill out the Voter Registration Form
Print the Form
Provide Proof of Residence
Determine Registration Deadline
Mail or Deliver Your Form
Or, register to vote on Election Day. If attending an out of state college, voters have the option to vote in the school’s state or fill out an Absentee Ballot for Wisconsin.
Since we live in such a technology-driven world, information is more accessible to voters than ever before. Thirty years ago, people were practically clueless as to information now available with a quick Google search. Every opinion, voting record and press release is online somewhere, giving voters the ability to make informed decisions. Millennials create and consume social media every day, which makes it the perfect place to promote campaigns. Many candidates have multiple social media platforms including Twitter, Instagram and even Snapchat. Followers are able to receive updates the second they happen in the form of 140 characters, pictures and 10 second videos. Candidates need to use social media in ways that will appeal to millennials.
Be an informed voter. Whether voters get their news from late-night television or Twitter, research the candidates and the issues. Do not let others decide. Voting expresses opinion, so influence politics. Buy merchandise if desired. Become involved in the country.