'Young people, you cannot complain unless you've voted,' Wilde tells MTV News, appealing to new voters in the upcoming election. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Olivia Wilde Photo: MTV News
If you're wondering whether or not your voice matters in the upcoming presidential election, take it from Hollywood mega-star Olivia Wilde: it does. It really, really does.
MTV News caught up with Wilde as part of our Power of 12 countdown to Election Day on November 6, and the "Butter" actress spoke passionately about the need for young voters to get out and make their voice heard in the race for the White House.
"Less than 50% of young people voted in the last election. That's crazy," Wilde said. "People need to get out and vote. Young people, you cannot complain unless you've voted. I don't want to hear any bitching in the next four years if you haven't voted."
Wilde stressed that voting matters for "local elections, too, not just the presidential election," even though the race between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney in particular needs to be taken "seriously," she said.
"When North Carolina was won by Barack Obama [in 2008] with only 14,000 votes, it gives you an idea of how much your vote actually counts," she said. "It matters."
But Wilde is quick to point out that voting is more than just a responsibility. "It's fun," she said. "It's not like doing chores; it's one of the greatest experiences of being an American. It's one of the best things about living in a democracy."
Directing unregistered voters to gottavote.org, Wilde concluded her plea by saying: "To young people who are voting for the first time, who have come up in a tricky economic climate, that's specifically why you have to get out and vote. Shape your future. It's absolutely imperative that you participate."
Check back for coverage on the 2012 election, and stick with Power Of 12 throughout the presidential election season.
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