You don’t have to be an avid politics follower to know that the US Elections are on November 3rd. Everyone from your favourite celebrities to sports heroes have been engaging in this conversation. The results of this election will impact everything from LGBTQIA+ and reproductive rights, to climate change. The outcome of these elections will be felt beyond the borders of the USA. With so much at stake; apoliticism is a privilege. Our current predicament has demonstrated that people’s lives are political and it is a privilege to disengage. While both candidates are less than ideal one is objectively worse, and some would say a threat to democracy.
The youth vote will be an influential factor in this election. After a poor youth turn out in 2016 many non-partisan groups are desperately trying to rally young voters. Social media has been instrumental in this regard as it allows for easy digital registration and direct communication to potential voters. Celebrities in particular have embraced various strategies to encourage young people to register to vote. Most celebrities are driving registration campaigns while others have taken a stronger approach by directly endorsing candidates.
It’s not surprising that people are incentivised by those who they look up to or by the slight chance of winning a car or getting to meet one of your idols. David Dobrik is a youtuber, comedian and a Slovakian immigrant. Dobrik, who currently holds DACA status (thanks to legislation put in place by Obama) managed to register 120 000 people. This record-breaking achievement was pulled due to a Tesla giveaway on Tik Tok. Kylie Jenner took to Instagram to post a few bikini photos – the result was 50 000 new voter registrations. Legendary rapper Snoop Dogg and the former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal candidly shared that this election would be the first time they would cast a ballot and encouraged their fans to do the same. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Taylor Swift have both endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to their 201 million and 140 million followers respectfully. It appears that everyone from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Timothée Chalamet and Frank Ocean have been vocal about getting involved in the elections. If your favourites have been silent you may want to consider shifting your support to someone who aligns more closely with your values.
2020, a turbulent year filled with much political upheaval and a devastating pandemic has proved to be a catalyst for a new movement. A movement that stands up to institutions and those in power fearlessly. We have seen brave individuals take a stand against systemic racism with the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests. The #EndSARS campaign in Nigeria is refusing to backdown despite a horrific massacre committed against protesters. Even here in Cape Town 16 youths were arrested during the Anti-GBV protests.
This urgent demand for action has translated to the polls in Chile and Bolivia. Chile is currently celebrating the overwhelming majority win to rewrite the constitution. This is a major step in replacing the current legislation that was imposed by the Pinochet dictatorship. This call for reform was ignited by protestors vehemently opposed to the military regime that has harmed Chileans for years. Bolivians are also celebrating a landslide victory in favour of a leftist, progressive candidate Luis Arce. This hopeful turn of events came after a Trump backed military coup in 2019, dozens of protestors being massacred by security forces and a yearlong struggle to restore democracy.
If anything, these recent events in Chile and Bolivia show that the impact of protesting and subsequently voting should not be underestimated. We can only hope that the US Elections yield positive results. Social media activism, protesting and voting should not be done in isolation to one another either. Even if your rights are not under threat; compassion and action for those who live in constant fear is a civic duty. If we have learnt anything from the 2016 US elections it is that nothing is certain and unfortunately governments do not always have the best interests of the majority at heart.
Voting does not mean that you fully support a candidate, especially when the options are essentially “the lesser of two evils”. Voting is merely a step in the democratic process our ancestors so selflessly fought for. After the results of the election are released elected officials must continue to be challenged, critiqued and held accountable.
If you’re feeling left out of this voting conversation and eager to exercise your constitutional right, the municipal by-elections are coming up on November 11th. To check your eligibility to vote in the upcoming ward elections or your registration status, click here.