There is simply no excuse. If you are eligible, you need to be a registered voter in the United States. It shouldn’t be because your English professor will give you extra credit, or because your mom filled out the form for you. You need to have a say in the politics affecting your everyday life.
People rattle off excuses like, “I don’t know how” or “my vote doesn’t matter anyway.” These are all invalid, and frankly, wrong. Registering to vote is simple. It takes less than five minutes of your time and newsflash… your vote matters. Who you vote for can affect your wallet, your health care, your access to things like abortion, the right to carry firearms, LGBTQ rights, welfare programs, and the list goes on.
When asked after the last presidential election why they chose not to vote, 59 percent of non-voting Americans believed that there is no point in voting because “nothing ever gets done,” 54 percent justified not voting because they believe the U.S. Government is “so corrupt,” and 37 percent believe that voting “doesn’t make much difference my life.”
The biggest excuse, however, is that people believe their vote doesn’t count. Your vote matters. Yes, it’s true that the Electoral College elects the president, but never forget that it is us, the American people, that decide who the Electoral College MUST support. For example, if you lived in the State of California in the 2016 election, and the majority of the people in your state choose to vote for Senator Bernie Sanders, then he will win your state’s 55 electoral votes. That’s over 20 percent of the electoral votes he needs to win the presidency. It’s as simple as that. And it all started with your vote.
People ages 18-35 make up 31% of eligible voters, yet only 19% make up real voter turnout. This is irresponsible and unpatriotic, to say the least. As new voters, it is important to register to vote (and of course actually show up). More importantly, you are responsible for informing yourself about the candidates that you’re potentially voting for.
There are a lot of crucial races if Democrats want to take over the House and Senate. Around a third of Senate seats are up for grabs, 35 to be exact. Of those, 26 are currently held by Democrats, and 9 by Republicans. On the other hand, all 435 seats are up for reelection in the House (a term only lasts for two years.) Democrats will need to keep every seat they currently hold, plus win 23 new seats. Although it is seemingly a stretch, it is doable since there are over 25 GOP-held seats in areas that Hillary Clinton won in 2016. In other words, the districts are expected to flip from Republican to Democratic, but as we’ve seen in previous elections, politics is sometimes unpredictable. Republicans continue to struggle since a considerable amount of members have announced their retirement this year.
Aside from all the statistics, your representatives are supposed to represent your views.
On a national level, the focus of legislation will be on immigration and the Supreme Court nomination. You’ve probably heard about the uproar over the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy which ended up separating families at the US-Mexico border. Trump has since signed an executive order to stop the separations. However, there still is not a cohesive plan on immigration policy, and thousands of families still separated. As far as the Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh (you can read more about him in one of MY previous articles here!) In the time since he was nominated, Kavanaugh has faced various cases of sexual misconduct and is in the process of Senate hearings. Republicans face huge risk in electing a candidate (for life) that has allegedly committed these atrocious and simply unacceptable acts.
Statewide, abortion, gun policies and healthcare will be major topics of debate and legislation.
Last year, nearly 20 states passed new laws limiting access to abortion. After Roe v Wade, women have the right to an abortion until the fetus is considered “viable” outside of the uterus. Many states have put this time period at around 20-24 weeks. Some states, however, have cut down that time period. Mississippi just passed a bill banning abortions after 15 weeks, And Iowa is trying to ban them after six. Many other Republican-governed states are cutting funding and access to abortion services and procedures.
Gun control is an issue that’s easier to tackle on the state level. In the last year, states like Oregon, Rhode Island, Florida, and Washington have passed laws restricting access to guns for certain groups. These laws generally apply to people under 21, who’ve been convicted of domestic abuse, or similar crimes.
Your vote matters. It really does. I may be able to write about how millions of Americans died so that we can live in a nation of democracy and freedom, but I’m not here to reteach you American history. Your vote is your voice, and your vote is your tool of political empowerment. Register, learn and VOTE.