LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There are exactly two weeks until voters cast their ballots in a presidential election that is down to a sprint, and the voices of young voters echoed through the chapel of Bates Memorial Baptist Church in Smoketown.
Louisville Urban League Young Professionals, Bates Memorial, and the Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. hosted a panel discussion on key voting issues.
The big question tackled: does your vote matter?
A panel of three University of Louisville students and graduates answered that very question.
"People talk about their cars, their fashion, getting their license…and I was like, that’s all politics. People are making decisions on your behalf. When you vote, you have the power to choose a representative that keeps your best interest in mind," said UofL student Edler Jonhaten Jr. “My family immigrated here from Haiti, a small island in the Caribbean, about 22 years ago. They’ve been in this country for 22 years and they still cannot vote. I’m not just voting for me, I’m not just voting for my family, I am voting for the betterment of my community and I am voting for the betterment of my children and my children’s children.”
This year, Gen Z and millennials make up nearly half of the eligible voting population, according to Data for Progress.
“Even if your candidate does not win the election, your vote shows what you think is important," said UofL Ph.D candidate Alexis Miller. “My vote matters.”
The panel of young voters was followed by a panel of professionals from across the metro, including Louisville Urban League President and CEO Lyndon Pryor.
"Young leaders and young voters are among the largest emerging demographic, and they oftentimes the demographic that we don't talk to enough. And so we need to hear their voice. We need to see what things are concerning to them," Pryor said. "Quite frankly, they will be the dominant voice moving forward."
The young voters mentioned the economy, student loans and education as issues that drive them to the polls.
In Kentucky, in-person excused voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 23 and un-excused voting starts Oct. 31.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Here is where you can find your Jefferson County polling location.
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