All my friends from the North and West Coast are responding to my IG story, shocked that people I know don’t vote. There’s definitely a bigger level of apathy in the South. Here’s why: 1) I think people believe there’s no point because our states will always do the same thing.

2) A lot of young people in the South aren’t into politics. They don’t think it’s worth it. They think it’s corrupt. They don’t have any hope in it or think it’ll change anything.

3) Politics don’t affect them. If you’re a Caucasian, Christian, Straight, Upper-Middle class person who has conservative values, you most likely don’t have to worry about any rights being taken away from you. You probably actually agree with a lot of the existing policies.

4) You follow what your parents believe. If your parents are both Republicans, Democrats, or Independents, most likely - you’ll keep those same beliefs. Most people don’t investigate what they themselves believe.

5) It takes effort to do research, to learn about candidates, to register to vote, to actually go and vote. It takes effort that people are just not willing to take.

Trust me I get it. I didn’t start caring about politics until I was in college and realized just how much it affected me. As someone who cares about education, human rights, equality, immigration, the economy, and the well-being of others, why wouldn’t I vote?!