What they're saying: Adam Keeler on young people and voting.

As the weeks go past in route to May's primary election, I'm providing periodic candidate statements of substance, mostly unretouched, as lifted from social media and news reports. Familiar gems such as "yard signs win elections, not people" and "donate to my campaign first, and maybe I'll have something of merit to say much, much later" will be omitted. That's because it is my aim to determine whether our declared candidates have anything to say at all, and I'll quote all candidates, from any and all parties, whether or not they're in a contested race. Just promising change and new ideas without divulging them won't cut the mustard, aspirants.

This edition of "What they're saying" belongs entirely to Adam Keeler, candidate for city council at-large as a Democrat, writing at his Facebook campaign page.

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Primary elections are now less than a month away and, if we maintain our current attrition, we will only see 21.5% of young people under the age of 30 vote. This is roughly 13% of the total voter amount, which is is proof that young people simply are not showing up to the polls. This is a major issue in the United States. We are going to inherit this country, and we need to make sure our voice is both heard and taken seriously. Today's youth is more informed than ever thanks to the social media and news aggregation sites like Reddit and Digg. We pay closer attention to new technology so we know how to utilize the capabilities of photovoltaics, emerging Artificial Intelligence, and robotic automation. With self driving cars, renewable energy, and 3D printing all poised to become staples in everyday American homes we must be prepared and understand the capabilities of these tools. These will save money, lives, and resources by allowing a lower cost of living and improved access to goods.

We cannot afford to sit idly by and allow our voices to be quelled. May 5th is approaching and we need EVERYONE to cast a ballot. If you have any questions about voting or how to file early, please send me a message and I'll do my best to make it convenient for you. Stop letting people you don't support represent you, speak up and let your voices be heard!