A lot of people really like some of Bernie’s ideas, but they’re afraid to vote for him because they fear nothing will get through Congress if he becomes president. As we look back at the past seven years that President Obama has been in office, we can see how difficult passing anything “too progressive” can be when our country is stuck in a political gridlock.

These concerns aren’t without reason. 

In the United States, voter turnout is typically low. Every election, thousands of Americans don’t show up to the polls. This is why Congress members keep getting re-elected despite the fact that Americans give them only a 16% approval rating. 

The reason for this is because overall, voters pay much less attention to their US representatives than they do to their president. This has to change!

During the 2012 presidential election, only 54.87% of eligible voters turned out to vote.

And not much better, only 58.23% of eligible voters turned out to vote for the 2008 presidential election.

The most alarming part of these figures is that they’re not even the lowest. During the last two mid-term elections (the elections that happen every two years and include the election of Congress representatives), turnout was far lower.

In the 2010 mid-term election, there was only a 41% voter turnout. During the 2014 mid-terms, only 36.4%!

Likewise, primary elections also see low numbers.

If you #FeelTheBern, it is critical to show up and vote in every election. Bernie is an excellent start to the changes we need, but he can’t do it alone. Our country has three branches of government. If we believe in Bernie Sanders, we must address Congress with the same passion that we address the presidency. 

In our pledge to vote in Bernie Sanders and vote out Congress, we call upon our elected representatives to strengthen and promote mid-term and primary voting awareness. You have the power to help return power to the people.

For the first time in history, there are now more Millennials (people between ages 18 to 34 in 2015) than Baby Boomers (ages 51 to 69) who are eligible to vote.

This is huge! 

Together, we are pledging not only to vote for Bernie during the presidential primaries and general election, but also to vote for our Congress members during general and mid-term elections, removing representatives with outdated/bought out/unethical ideals. By doing so, we CAN make a difference, and real changes WILL be possible.

We have learned from the mistake of neglecting our vote of Congress. The change starts now. #VoteINBernieVoteOUTCongress

To get details on your state’s voting information- including registration, deadlines, dates, candidates- visit www.vote411.org.

Image Credit:

"Bernie Sanders Us Senator," "American Government Building Symbol Icon Illustration Ep," and "Fireworks Illustration" stock images provided by FreeDigitalPhotos.net under royalty free licensing.