As a first-time voter in a presidential election, I, like many other young progressives, tracked the beginning of this election season with tentative optimism. I spent 2016 watching my future unfold before my eyes without much of a say in it—as a 17-year-old, I felt like all I could really do was pay attention to the news and promise myself that I would help make things better in 2020. And for a while, the country I dreamed of felt like it might be in reach. As debates and primaries rolled on, Bernie Sanders was proving that he shouldn’t be counted out and that progressive politics still had a place in a Trump-controlled America. Now, the phrase “Remember when Bernie won Nevada?” is nothing but a solemn throwback from Gen Z Twitter users, aiming to recall the hope that millions felt when it seemed like a candidate who represented their values had a chance to become president.
It’s hard to not feel a sense of disillusionment about electoral politics. The sitting president lost the popular vote but has still appointed three Supreme Court justices, cementing a dangerous conservative majority for years to come. Voter suppression and intimidation have made it impossible for many Americans to even have a say in 2020’s election—between misinformation about mail-in ballots, unclear ballot return deadlines, and constantly dwindling polling places, it’s clear that there are a lot of people in power who fear our right to a democracy. While Donald Trump and the GOP have accelerated our descent into fascism, the DNC has also done little to sway progressive voters, preferring instead to cater toward moderates. Joe Biden has even taken on the interesting tactic of explicitly telling people, particularly the left, not to vote for him.
Although Biden has told people like me not to vote for him, I have no choice. There’s too much at risk to do much else. It’s not the future I thought we were heading toward way back in the beginning of the primaries, but it’s the only path forward that I can see. I have to believe that we will do better someday, and until then, I have to work with the only option I’ve been given. A Biden administration may not give me the policies I’ve been fighting for, but that doesn’t mean that fight will be over.
Now more than ever, the votes of young people are crucial. In 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that only 43% of citizens between the ages of 18 and 24 voted in the presidential election. 2020’s election has been framed as the most important election of our lives, and even if Biden’s presidency isn’t the outcome many young people wanted, our voices are desperately needed. Her Campus has partnered with Biden for President to make voting more accessible and understandable to college students, many of whom are voting for the first time in a presidential election. With so many life-or-death issues at stake right now, including COVID-19 relief, healthcare, the climate crisis, and rampant systemic racism, voting Trump out is the only chance we have to see any progress for Americans at a government level.
While young people have been showing up in huge numbers during early voting, it is also equally important that we don’t allow this moment to make us complacent. Regardless of who wins, we have a long road ahead to enact the structural changes we have been demanding. If Biden wins, it’s not an excuse for our lives to go back to normal—as exhausting as it is, we have to keep doing the hard work of demanding progress. When asked what young people can do to remain politically engaged beyond voting, New York senator and former presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand said, “Get in arguments. If you still have relatives who are supporting the president, you might want to question them about why and provide your own views. It’s really important that everyone you know and love is engaged in this process.” While you may not be able to write legislation and push it through the Senate, it’s still crucial to fight for change on an individual level. Call out misinformation and hatred when you see it. If you don’t, who will?
But if the past few months have taught us anything, it is that we have to be more than just reactive—we have to constantly take initiative to educate ourselves and commit to direct action. Voting is a good start for tangible action you can take, but your job isn’t over once you cast your ballot. “Even if Biden is elected, there will still be neoliberal atrocities committed,” Genevieve Schuh, a political communications major at Emerson, advises young voters. “Don’t take your finger off the pulse because you think we’re safe now. Look for groups in your community, participate in mutual aid, and support local journalism.”
Building community solidarity will be crucial. No matter who wins the election, we have to commit ourselves to non-carceral solutions to problems in our communities and look out for one another. Relying solely on people in power to make decisions that benefit the majority of Americans has proven to be ineffective on its own. Flipping the Senate and electing a Democratic president may lead to some more progressive policies, but continuing to exercise our right to protest and demand action in numbers remains one of the most powerful tools at our disposal.
If you still need to make a voting plan for tomorrow, visit iwillvote.com for state-by-state information regarding polling places and ballot drop-off locations. The days surrounding this election are going to be overwhelming no matter what the outcome is, but we have to be prepared to continue this fight. The politicians clinging to power want this election to dampen your passion. Instead, let it continue to radicalize you. We can’t let go of the idea that a better world is possible—it’s all we have.