Young voters can shape the future in Durham

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 26th amendment, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. And this November, young voters have an opportunity to make it count in Durham’s City Council and mayoral elections.

Only 18% of Durham voters turned out for the last city council elections in 2019, and traditionally, young people have been regarded as apathetic to local elections. But 2021 has proven to be a year of change: our world is emerging from a pandemic, our country is experiencing major political shifts, and in our city, Steve Schewel, who has led Durham since 2017, is retiring, leaving an open seat for mayor. The momentum is here, and the 2021 elections are a perfect opportunity for young people to flip the script.

Durham’s city council is broken up into three ward seats, where every candidate running must live in their respective ward, and three at large seats, where voters select candidates from anywhere in Durham. The three ward seats are at play on November 2, and unlike in cities like Charlotte and Greensboro, Durham residents are allowed to vote in all three wards.

Together, these seats make up the Durham City Council, which implements a wide array of policies. It appoints positions like the city manager, attorney, and clerk, oversees local regulation, and funds development projects. Last year, the council requested $15 million to build multifamily housing, created a violent crime task force, and began a transit rail initiative.

This year, it has the potential to accomplish even more, especially on problems important to youth. Here are three issues Durham’s young voters could influence through these elections.

• Racial Equity. In 2020, Durham’s Racial Equity Task Force released its inaugural Racial Equity Report, which outlines the history of race in Durham and presents policies for the city government. Its recommendations include collecting more data on School Resource Officers (SROs), creating a review board for police misconduct, and ensuring more diverse jury pools. At a time when racial equity is a hot button issue for young Durham voters, all eyes will be on the new City Council to implement these recommendations. By showing up to the polls in November, young voters can ensure that we are holding our officials accountable to taking action.

• Jobs.: Durham’s City Council has a unique power that the state and federal governments don’t: the ability to transform the culture and the infrastructure of our city. Even simple initiatives like summer concerts or cultural events highlight the city council’s impact on our culture. Not only is this important to preserve our identity as a city, but it helps Durham attract human resources, creating a magnet for businesses and more opportunities for young people ready to enter the job market. It’s also up to our City Council to repair our crumbling infrastructure, including through initiatives like this year’s plan to provide $6 million of reparations in the form of infrastructure projects. And this has paid off in the past: Google recently announced the development of a new engineering hub in Durham, creating an estimated 1,000 jobs! Our City Council’s actions next year could expand these opportunities even further.

• Affordable Housing. House prices in Durham are soaring, increasing 18% since 2020. Affordable housing is quickly being bought out and communities are experiencing rapid gentrification. However, more so than our state and federal governments, Durham’s City Council has a lot of power to take action.

The 2021 elections may not be quite as large, expensive, or exciting as last year’s. But they have the potential to make a huge difference for young people in Durham. In 2020, youth turnout increased 11% nationwide, driving increased attention to issues like racial equity, jobs, and affordable housing. This election is our chance to continue that momentum in Durham. Let’s make our votes count.