Op-Ed: Kuleana – Gen Z’s Voting Power
By Reece Dean, senior at Kamehameha Schools Maui

Kuleana means responsibility, but it also means a right and a privilege. As a Gen Z young adult who is often consumed by social media, I know my peers have lots to say about anything and everything. We have been raised in a world where we have the technology and ability to tell the world about all the details of our lives. We also use technology to persuade and influence. At 18 years old, I now have the right and privilege to persuade and influence through the power of my vote.

Imagine your ideal Hawaiʻi. What does that look like? My vision of an ideal Hawaiʻi looks different from what I see as I drive around Maui or travel to the neighboring islands. The very first issues I see are homelessness coupled with vulnerable individuals who suffer from a range of issues. Those are just the people who are visible on the highways, side streets, and parking lots in our communities. What about the unseen individuals and the working parents who cannot earn enough income to provide a stable home environment for their families? The cost of living in Hawaiʻi is ridiculous. What can you do about it?

Become an informed voter. This is your chance to influence decisions that affect your daily life. Make your voice heard in local elections because the priorities and decisions of those locally elected officials have a direct impact on you and your immediate community. Invest the time and energy to learn about the candidates. Do their values and priorities align with yours? Do they have evidence of engaging in community matters and supporting or protesting issues that are important to you? Your vote is a powerful endorsement for the issues that matter most to you. Your vote for or against a candidate directly influences policies and decisions that shape our community.

My parents have always taught me and my siblings to stop complaining and to do something if we don’t like the way things are. This is a call to action to the youngest voters in our community. What issues matter to you? What would make life in Hawaiʻi better for you and your community? Engage in conversations with your friends, family, and those in your community. Spread the workload by researching different local candidates. Share the ‘ike, kūkākūkā, then encourage one another to cast ballots in the upcoming election. Embrace this kuleana. If we can influence others on social media to engage in frivolous TikTok trends, we can certainly use our power in much more productive ways.

*****Views expressed in Op-Ed pieces are those of the author’s alone and do not reflect or represent the opinions, policies or positions of Maui Now.*****