While the 2008 Presidential Election marked the second-largest group of youth voters in voting history, the conversation regarding the youth vote for the 2012 election has been mum.

And even with the large youth turnout, 18- to 24-year-olds still marked the smallest voting group in the 2008 election.

As a student body and demographic group, Butler University students must turn up at the polls this November for the 2012 Presidential Election.

It is the civic duty of each citizen to vote. Our democracy depends upon its voting system.

Despite this duty, the youth vote has not been nearly as vocal as it was four years ago.

All young adults need to be voting to strengthen the voice of their generation.

Perhaps youth voters are uninformed in terms of politics and government and, therefore, feel uncomfortable placing a vote.

Perhaps they are apathetic toward the election and candidates.

Apathy toward government is far more dangerous than lack of information, but neither are excusable.

The solution is to read up and investigate.

Dissect the platforms for the candidates. Ask questions.

Researching any topic for a short period of time should lead any voter to be both informed and angry about something.

Every U.S. high school senior is required to take a government class for a reason.

Knowledge is power.

In recent months, the discussion of voting has turned to voter identification laws, which require some form of ID to vote, most times with strict photo requirements.

While voting should simply be a right, voter ID laws have made voting in elections a privilege.

To write off your vote due to apathy or lack of political knowledge is to do a disservice to those whose ability to vote has been revoked with the recent policy.

A vote, however small, always counts.