It was encouraging to see Tuesday’s show of youth activism, with hundreds of teens waving “vote” signs before walking to Honolulu Hale to drop off their general election ballots or to cheer on the process.

Even if many were too young to vote, let’s hope these youths’ enthusiasm — part of vote-awareness campaigns such as Our Kaiaulu Votes and Walk to the Box — bodes well for turnout in the near future. In Hawaii’s August primary, only 32.3% of 839,618 registered voters actually took the time to vote. It’s time for the next generation to lead the charge and help improve this state’s dismal turnout.