No doubt, you’ve heard the preachings of politically active Kenyonites on your daily visits to Peirce: “Are you registered to vote?” You know it’s an important question, and it’s likely that yes, you are in fact registered to vote. But another question, maybe equally as important, isn’t asked quite as often: Are you registered to vote in Ohio?
Living in Ohio puts us in a unique position. Unlike my home state of Kansas, which has a long and seemingly unyielding history of voting for the Republican party in presidential elections, Ohio is a swing state. Because it could potentially go red or blue come November, we (and by “we” I mean each and every one of us) has the potential to determine which presidential candidate gets Ohio’s electoral votes. And speaking of electoral votes, the Buckeye State has a whopping 18 of those things. Only six states (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Illinois) have more.
Think about that for a minute. A swing state with lots of electoral votes. This combination of factors makes Ohio one of the most exciting states to watch during the election cycle. In fact, a recent article published by ABC News and Yahoo! News showed that if Barack Obama wins Ohio in November, Mitt Romney would have to pick up every other swing state to win the presidency.
Along with being instrumental in determining the president, Ohio has the opportunity to impact the make up of Congress. Senator Sherrod Brown is running against Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel in a race that’s become highly competitive because of the exorbitant amount of money being spent by conservative super PACs.
Vice President of the Kenyon College Democrats, Sydney Watnick ’14, understands how important this particular race is. Though she could be working to help reelect Senator Kristen Gillibrand from her home state of New York, Watnick has put her time and effort into Brown’s campaign. “It’s important that we support someone who’s campaign isn’t as publicized [as Obama’s],” she said. “If Obama wins but Sherrod Brown doesn’t win the Senate race, there’s a possibility the democrats will lose the Senate and won’t be able to get that much done.”
Regardless of whether or not you share Watnick’s political views, such a tight race makes your vote all the more important. But if you don’t feel comfortable voting in place where you might only live until you graduate, consider her reassurance that your opinion is just as valid as anyone’s: “The average voter lives in the same place for only four years.”
The outcome of this November’s election is going to affect all of us, and since we spend the majority of our year on this hill, what happens in Ohio is truly of the utmost importance. So while you still have chance, make sure you’re registered to vote and try to get your friends committed as well. (For more information, check out Rock The Vote).
“As much as I can sit in Peirce all day and talk to people about committing to vote, I’m never going to be able to reach [everybody],” Watnick said, “But you can talk to your friends and they can talk to their friends [about voting].”