Andrea Yagher ’20 and the Our First Vote Organization held their second annual voter registration drive Oct. 5. Last year one hundred and fifty students registered to vote.

“In just a few short years, the millennials and Generation X, which is us, are going to be the biggest voting block in America,” Yagher said. “We need to register to ensure that all of our views are heard and values are being addressed in government.”

Yagher created Our First Vote, a peer-to peer non-profit organization as a way to encourage young people to become more involved politics and highlight the importance of participation in government by pre-registering to vote.

The drive’s purpose aligned with the Our First Vote mission statement: “Voting to build the future: get informed, get registered, commit to vote.” Citizens can pre-register starting at age 16 and can register at age 18.

“Especially before this upcoming election, which is super crucial in all of our lifetimes, we want to make sure that as many young people are registered as possible,” Yagher said.

Our First Vote has organized several registration drives throughout Los Angeles, and Yagher said she plans on holding more in order to convince young voters to exercise their rights and share their voice.

“There are a lot of people that ignore the ballot box thinking they do not have a say,” Yagher said. “That’s not true. Everybody in this country has a say in what happens in government. Democracy is not a spectator sport, we all have to be involved if we want to see change.”