Some students may question whether their vote counts in an election—whether that be at a national or local level. Do student votes make an impact on government decisions? Is it important to vote in this time of life or can students wait to “be involved” until later?

Is voting as a student important?

“I think it’s important because we’re the rising generation,” said Brittania Coley, a sophomore in physiology. “We’re the ones that are going to be living with the consequences of these elections for years down the road.”

Coley is not the only person to think it’s important for the citizens of the United States to have a say in the result.

“Yes, student voting is important,” said Travis Smith, a professor of political science at BYU-Idaho for 11 years. “It’s important for everyone that can vote to vote. We all need to participate and express our preferences in order for government to better reflect the will of the people.”

Trent Rose, a professor of political science at BYUI for the last 18 years, agreed.

“Yes, students have the right and duty to participate in our political process," said Rose. "They bring important perspectives to the discussion of which issues should become laws, who should represent us in the government, and how our nation can be successful."

With the November election fast approaching, eyes are on the presidential candidates, and voters are spending more time on national issues. However, student votes for local government can also have a major impact, according to Professor Matt Miles, a political science professor at BYUI and author of "Religious Identity in US Politics."

“The truth is, if every student at BYU-Idaho voted in local elections, the students could control the local community,” said Miles. “There are a number of laws and regulations passed by the city of Rexburg that affect students, but since they don't know about these laws and policies, they do nothing to influence them.“

Photo credit: Pat Sutphin, the Idaho Capital Sun. May 2024.

The power of one vote

“Elections are determined by voting. I often hear people say, ‘My vote doesn’t count,'” Smith said. “That simply isn’t true. Every vote is counted; every vote matters. Especially in local elections, the outcomes can be very close. There are even recent instances of ties that had to be decided by a coin toss; imagine having chosen not to have voted in that election.”

A coin toss is not usually how an election is decided or how a bill is passed, but it does happen.

“Even when my vote doesn’t change the outcome of an election, I am still sending a message to others about my preferences,” Smith said. “If you are a Democrat in Idaho, for example, by voting, you send a message that there are people in Idaho who don’t always agree with the Republican Party ... We need to get past some of the unhelpful narratives surrounding voting.”

Miles suggests a different perspective on voting.

“As a political scientist, I would say that voting is the least important thing a person can do,” Miles said. “It is right next to doing nothing at all … President (Dallin H.) Oaks is clear that we should vote, but the reality is that supporting candidates by being active members of a political party, running for office, financial donations and organizing neighbors in support of political causes are much more effective means of influencing outcomes than voting.”

Although Miles argues that being a more active participant in political affairs has a greater impact than a vote, he doesn’t discount the effect of a vote altogether.

“In December of 2017, a single vote made the difference of which party controlled Virginia’s House of Delegates,” Miles said.

What challenges do students face with voting?

“The biggest challenge students in college face at election time is deciding where they want to register to vote,” Miles said.

For more information about voting in Idaho or a home state, see the article 4 Steps: How to vote while away at college.

"I think primarily (the challenge is) the idea that they can't be involved because they are not back at home,” said Justin Stewart, a co-president of the Political Affairs Society and a junior at BYUI. “They may not know what options they have for voting while here, whether that is absentee ballot voting or knowing they can register in the state they are attending as long as they meet all requirements for registration in the state.”

Stewart has voted in the past two elections and is planning on voting in the November election.

“Not being involved does you no good,” Stewart said.

Ignorance surrounding voting options and not knowing where to register are not the only issues. Stewart identified the additional challenge that the priorities with how students use their time don’t always involve researching the issues or the candidates involved in elections.

Challenges can be seen as major obstacles or simply small hurdles to be addressed. Smith suggests that voting challenges for students are the latter, but they might seem major because of the burden of school and other obligations.

“Ultimately none of these issues should be overwhelmingly difficult to resolve, but with everything else students are juggling, they might seem like challenges,” Smith said.

This November, students have a choice. They may be well assured that if they vote, their vote will count for something, “even if it’s just showing that people have that opinion.”