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In 2024, more than 41 million Gen Zers will head to the voting booth, many for the first time. Here are four ways Gen Z can prepare for — and make a difference — this November.
We are almost three weeks into 2024, my fellow Gen Zers, and there is still time to make a New Year’s Resolution. This is, of course, an election year, one that could very well either make or break us as a people.
For the first time, Gen Zers will have a significant say in this outcome.
Many concerned Americans are rightfully asking the question: “Will Gen Z respond to their newfound civic duty?”
I think there is a better question waiting for us to address: “How will we respond to our newfound civic duty this November?”
Not only does this question speak positively over our generation knowing we will take our ‘seat at the table,’ it outlines that Gen Z has a critical role to play.
How? Allow me to lay out not one but four New Year’s resolutions – our game plan – that we need to commit to and put into practice as we eagerly anticipate Gen Z’s contribution to the 2024 election.
During every election cycle, there is ample hype surrounding the names of candidates running for office. Some are media favorites and others stand out from the crowd because they have name recognition.
However this year, I am urging you to adopt a new perspective: Focus on the issues.
Gen Zers, before choosing one candidate over another, we must stand firm in our key issues. Begin by identifying what’s important to you. Next, study the topic. Continually sharpen your opinions. Remember to keep an open mind.
Practicing this simple concept will prove to protect the long arc of America’s future, not just the results of one election.
As you encourage your peers to prioritize their key issues over picking a candidate based on popularity, charm, or how many ads they run, there is an important factor to consider.
Many of us lack the crucial life skill of critical thinking because we have been “educated” by government schools. In some cases, we have been propagandized. The blame for this cannot and should not be placed solely on our shoulders. A broken system is bound to yield a broken product.
However, we can — and we must — combat its effects.
No one openly desires to be led astray like blind sheep. We need to learn to think for ourselves, and we can do so by taking the following steps:
Taking 10 months to begin living out this game plan will not only prepare us for future conversations that may arise during our lifetime, but it will surely equip us to choose the very best candidate — and, if applicable, to vote righteously on ballot measures — this November.
The United States was founded because people were willing to have conversations about freedom, rights, citizenship, and government. Thoughtful conversations. Hard conversations. Meaningful conversations.
The same remains true for preserving our nation.
The Founders did not have the technological advancements of phone calls or network news, let alone email, Zoom calls, or Facetime. Yet they formed our nation, which has stood the test of time for 247 years and counting.
How did they do it? They wrote letters, articles, and books, including the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers. They met face to face. They hashed out different ideas and, yes, they even argued. Hence, the entire purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
Replicating their success is not as difficult as we might assume. After all, we do have the Constitution as our guide and modern-day technology at our disposal. Doing so, however, will require everyone taking part. It will take a multigenerational effort.
Gen Z, we cannot do this alone. We need the wisdom of the remaining members of the Silent generation and the discerning Baby Boomers. We must learn from the successes and failures of the tried-and-tested Gen Xers and Millennials. Gen Zers will leverage their youthful passion to inspire and rejuvenate each generations’ hope for America’s future.
Together, we will continue loving the blessings of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” from one election to the next for generations to come.
November 5, 2024, will inevitably come. It cannot be ignored no matter how much any of us try.
Over 41 million Gen Zers will have the immense privilege of recording their vote and dropping it in the ballot box. Long before opening the curtain, walking towards the voting booth, or even driving to your designated polling place, a decision must be made.
Gen Z, there are only about 300 days, or 41 weeks, or just over 10 months, left before you must choose how you will respond to your newfound civic duties.
I am urging you to really know your values beforehand and then vote your values.
Start with building your worldview upon the only objective, infallible Truth — the Word of God. Analyze today’s issues by finding Scriptures which reflect God’s original design of the matter.
I would also encourage you to check out the Freedom Center’s Theology of Politics or Biblical Worldview series.
From there, sharpen your opinions. Don’t be afraid to have conversations with people you disagree with, those who are more intelligent than you, and even those who hail from a different background. Figure out where they are coming from, and selflessly look at both sides. Seeking the truth with a humble spirit is your greatest weapon.
Amid it all, remember to pray for discernment. Pray that the Lord might conform your worldview to His, so that you may come to the realization that the attacks America is facing are spiritual and will therefore be ultimately overcome in a spiritual battle.
Most importantly, pray that our nation’s leadership and fellow countrymen may come to know the King of all Kings so that they too will begin to use their voices and votes for King Jesus.
Headlines are vying to change our opinion every day. Polls will play mind games. Interest groups will try to sway and even buy our vote. Politicians will try to tell us what we want to hear.
Resist these distractions. Stand firm, and confidently reject this manipulation. Be led by your values, not bad news, not fear tactics, not charm offensives.
Cast your vote based on which side most aligns with and advances the positions of King Jesus found in Scripture.
Gen Z, remember: We only have, as Benjamin Franklin once warned, “a Republic, if we can keep it.” Our nation hangs in the balance at the ballot box this November.
Focus on the issues. Think for yourselves. Have conversations. Vote your values.
If we all do this, we can make our own mark and renew America for our generation and the generations to follow.
Christian Hodges is an 18-year-old aspiring conservative voice, student at Liberty University, and the author of America, Don’t Give Up.
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