On November 6th, 2018, midterm elections will be taking place throughout the nation. Midterm elections take place every two years as every seat in the House is up for re-election and 1/3 of the Senate is up for re-election. Of the many races taking place in our home state, the race that seems to be gaining the most attention is the gubernatorial race between democratic candidate, Andrew Gillum, and Robert DeSantis, the republican candidate. The reason this race is catching so much attention is because each candidate is a proxy of national figures. For instance, DeSantis has been endorsed by President Trump and has run his campaign based off a pro-Trump attitude. On the other hand, Tallahassee mayor, Andrew Gillum, has been backed with Senator Bernie Sander’s support.
Because these candidates reflect such a polarized election, it is important that everyone go-out and vote to help their candidate’s chance of winning! Often we hear the expression “one vote won’t make a difference” or “my vote doesn’t matter” and why it may feel like that sometimes, voting gives citizens a chance to be heard and affect democracy. Moreover, voting is crucial because it allows citizens to choose their elected officials, individuals who will be responsible for making decisions that will affect their constituents’ lives. It is easy to complain about the way things are in government and criticize those in office, but if the same individuals who judge also don’t vote, then they’re just as guilty for the decisions being made. Simply put, you can’t get mad if you’re an eligible voter and don’t vote. As U.S. citizens, it is a civic duty to vote and as so many other countries restrict their citizens of doing so, U.S. citizens shouldn’t take their right to vote for granted. So get out there and make a difference in the way that you can.