Things have a way of always coming back in style, and Y2K fashion is a trend I didn’t foresee becoming popular again. Yet, Gen Z has made low-rise jeans, among many other trends, cool again. Not that anyone asked for it, but another trend that’s come back in full force from the early aughts is California’s recall election! California’s first gubernatorial recall election was in 2003, and just like clockwork, this phenomenon has returned in 2021, but it’s a lot less cute this time around. Voting is now in full swing, with Election Day being just around the corner on September 14th!
In honor of Y2K being trendy and cool again and this unforeseen experience returning for new generations, I’m going to pick my favorite trends to pair with Election Day! Young people are a massive voting force in California, and can be major players in this election… So why not do it in style?
Voting has always been cool, but it shouldn’t be just a trend. During the 2020 election, the Trump administration attempted to make voting as hard as possible to discourage a large turnout, but young Californians turned out in record numbers to vote him out of office. Now we have the chance to be the decisive vote once more, for California's future.
The coolest trends for casting your ballot:
Throwback vibes! Voting in a recall is the ultimate y2k trend!
Grab your velour tracksuit, low-rise jeans, and Britney Spears’ greatest hits album to bump in your car on the way to your voting center! It’ll be exactly like 2003 and will be the perfect way to reenact all your Y2K dreams. Only this time, we can put a twist to the recall by stopping it in its tracks. You’ll be singing “Hit me, baby, one more time!” on the road to voting “NO” on the recall!
Voting NO on the recall is edgy and really cool. You can even vote for Pedro!
Remember when everyone wore the Vote for Pedro shirts? Let’s circle back to this. Conservatives are attempting to take control of California through the recall election process. If enough California voters miss their opportunity to vote, we’re at risk of losing all the progress we’ve made over the last few years. This election is also a massive waste of money during a life-altering pandemic. Gavin Newsom has one year left in his term, and this recall election is going to cost the state around $275 million, not to mention the private donations pouring in that could’ve gone to our neighbors in need.
This money could have gone towards supporting Californians through this pandemic, but it’s being used by conservatives to fuel a recall election where the leading opposition doesn’t even believe in minimum wage or the full extent of the climate crisis. Yikes! That’s some real Terminator-style logic.
The edgiest thing you can do is defy those who want to take your power. Voting “NO” on the recall protects our progress. If you really want to choose a candidate after voting “NO”, you can totally write in “Pedro.” Y2K was full of odd trends, but now is your chance to actually live this one!
Civic engagement fights acne and looks great on you!
Dermatologists may disagree, but civic engagement and voting are some of the best things you can do for your skin. When I finally turned 18 and cast my first ballot, the stubborn acne I had been dealing with suddenly vanished. I finally had the smooth, clear skin I had always wanted! To maintain my skin, I make sure that I am always registered to vote at my current address and that I vote in every election. This has done wonders!
While the deadline has passed to register at your current address in this election, you still have time to vote!
There is conditional registration all the way through election day, you just need to request a ballot in person. Save your skin and your state, vote NO on the recall!
Bringing your ex to vote as a fun accessory à la Bennifer:
With the recoupling of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck (Bennifer), getting back with your ex has never been more on-trend! They first broke off their engagement in 2004, but have gotten back together this summer looking better than ever. With the recall election only a week away, now is the perfect time to rekindle your romance with your ex through voting! Just like Bennifer, your renewed love will shine like a beacon of light throughout your polling place. Remember: it’s not toxic to text your ex if you’re just making sure they’re voting. Good luck!
Nothing is trendier than getting in the news:
What’s more intimidating than a massive, incredibly trendy voting bloc? Nothing! So show up for your future, grab all of your friends, and cast your ballots today! Please and thank you! Reporters will love to hear about it and we know they’ll be waiting to snap some pics of youth in their low-rise jeans and ever-glowing skin.
As of July 16, 13% of the 22 million registered voters in California were 25 or younger. In the November 2020 presidential election, 54% of Californians ages 18 to 29 voted. Young people have the power to make a massive impact at the polls, as they’ve already shown. We have the opportunity to make a massive impact once again, in an election that is arguably as important as the 2020 election. When we show up and vote, good things happen.
Side note: You’ll also love that your parents stop asking you about voting!
Having a say in your future never goes out of style.
Trends are nice, but voting will never go out of style. I don’t know about you all, but personally, I like having a say in my future. For instance, I care deeply about the environment and the climate crisis, therefore I always vote for people with similar values. When you vote “NO,” on the recall, you’re taking back your power and saying no to the people who will not prioritize your future or California in this way.
The best election day accessory is having a bright future and the knowledge that you’re doing all you can to preserve this beautiful state. The only way to hop on this trend is to vote NO on the recall!
September 14th, 2021 is the last day for your ballot to be mailed and postmarked OR returned to any drop-box or voting location. Drop boxes and voting locations close at 8:00 pm on the Sept. 14th Election Day. Find your voting location here!
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CNC Side Eye is strictly satirical. Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Any coincidental use of names is not intentional.
