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Election Day is here, and no one will let you forget it. When it comes to exercising the right to vote, Americans are taking to social media to let the world know they exercised their civic duty.
The 2018 midterms are being called the most important non-presidential election of recent times, and it shows in the numbers. Voter registration hit an all-time high of 19 million in California. Americans nationwide are on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating results that are just hours away.
First-time voters are making their voices heard at the polls and on social media. #IVoted and #FirstTimeVoter have been trending on both Twitter and Instagram today.
Blackish star Yara Shahidi, who established Eighteenx18 to get young people to vote, made sure to bring her practice ballot with her to the polling station.
And despite facing threats to their status under the Trump administration, new American citizens of all ages are making their voices heard by taking to the polls for the first time this year.
I couldn’t be happier! #ivoted for the first time as an American citizen 🗳🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/gZjUvGgFa5
— Mari Eboli (@marieboli) November 2, 2018
After Taylor Swift broke the silence on her political inclinations last month, the power of her social influence has been stunning. Voter registration numbers spiked in her home state of Tennessee, and the effects spread among her fans everywhere. Today, Swifties are using the #FirstTimeVoter tag to give her lyrics a political spin.
Even before today’s results come in, it’s refreshing to see so many young people out there exercising our right to make a difference.