The political stakes in 2016 are too high for voters under age 35 to pass on going to the polls. Millennial political might matters.

Look what happened in Britain. Young voters widely favored staying in the European Union, but many didn’t bother to vote. Older voters wanted a divorce from the 28-nation bloc — and they voted to make it happen.

Young Americans were motivated to vote in the presidential primaries. Ironically, most of their support went to a 74-year-old populist who went further than anyone expected.

But as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) recedes into the shadow of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, will the throngs of millennials who flocked to his campaign fade away? Will they lose interest, stay home on Election Day, let older, chiefly homogeneous demographics decide the outcome?

Millennials already have a reputation of paying less attention to elections than other age groups. But how much did you care about politics when you were 18 to 24-years-old?

Still, those early years can be formative ones for developing political leanings. Older millennials, ages 25 to 34, may adjust those leanings with time, but initial perceptions can last decades. Imagine if your inaugural voting experience in the United States is this year’s presidential election.

The primary season set the stage for crazy. A horde of Republicans, from scary to sideshow, jostled for traction. The sideshow jester won.

A more condensed Democratic field came down to Hillary and Bernie — who still clings to his revolution as the party moves on. Nobody figured Mr. Sanders would stick around for so long.

Nobody figured a jester would go beyond a joke, but Donald Trump did. 

If veteran voters can’t explain the bizarre odyssey to elect the leader of the free world, what are first-time voters to think?

Veronica Cromwell turns 18 on September 23. That makes the high school senior, pursuing a culinary career at EHOVE Career Center in Erie County, eligible to cast her first ballot for president in November.

As the primaries were winding down, and a Trump-Clinton matchup appeared inevitable, I was curious about Veronica’s reactions. She echoed what many of her peers are telling pollsters.

On Donald Trump:

“He is extremely racist and sexist, and I think if he was president we’d be taking a huge step backward. He makes me kind of uneasy. He never really gives you information. He tells you he’s going to do something but doesn’t actually tell you how he’s going to do it. He doesn’t have any political background, and that worries me. A lot of people say you have to run the government like a business, but I don’t think that’s true.”

On Hillary Clinton:

“There’s just something off about her. Caught in so many different controversies. I don’t know what she actually believes. She’s completely flipped her views. The last time she ran for president, she was against gay marriage, and now she’s all for it because the views of the public have changed. She changes how she presents herself. It would be nice to have a female president, but at the same time I think that we shouldn’t be voting for Hillary just because she’s a woman.”

On Bernie Sanders:

“I like how he relates to the middle class and lower class people. He’s going to help them more than the others running for president. A lot of folks don’t like the fact that he’s trying to raise taxes, but I think in the long term that’s going to benefit us. He’s real. Humble. If somebody in the audience disagrees with him, he actually stops his speech and listens instead of kicking them out.”

On the issues:

“Jobs and college and probably adequate defense are tops for me. I want to feel safe. What I’m looking for in a presidential candidate is honesty, a firm structure on their beliefs. I don’t think some realize how hard a job they’re going to have if they actually win.”

On her generation:

“Most don’t really like getting into politics because it’s so boring. We see so many adults screaming at each other. At school we don’t get into heated debates. But I’m kind of disappointed in how many people don’t vote because they feel it won’t make a difference.”

Just a glimpse into one thoughtful millennial mindset about a weighty decision to elect the next president. Let’s hear from more of you. Don’t sit this one out.

Marilou Johanek is a columnist for The Blade. Contact her at: mjohanek@theblade.com.

First Published July 2, 2016, 4:00 a.m.