Why should you register to vote? The upcoming presidential election is founded upon a series of hot-button topics, many of which affect college women. Let’s take a look at some of the issues implicated in this election. Click below to learn more about the top F.A.Q.’s college students have about the election’s outcome.
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“Will I have a job when I graduate?”
Let’s be real. All this talk about our depressed economy is, well, depressing. While there has been some improvement in the economy over the past few years, the growth is slow. People are still getting laid off left and right. We want reassurance that we didn’t take on massive loans to get a degree that will get us nowhere.
What the candidates agree on:
President Obama and Governor Romney both willingly admit that there are more young people graduating from college than there are jobs to support them. Job hiring is at an all time low, and the creation of jobs is essential to facilitating the boost our fledgling economy is in dire need of.
What the candidates disagree on:
To quote President Obama in the recent televised debate, his plan to increase available jobs is to “invest in education, develop new sources of energy here in America…and change our tax code to make sure that we’re helping small businesses and companies that are investing here in the United States.” Romney outlined the same key points when his turn came. However, they both disgree on the method by which this will occur. Romney is calling for de-regulation and reduction of the government’s role in the free market. Obama champions cracking down on Wall Street and big businesses to prevent another 2008 economic meltdown. Whichever method you think is best, we can all agree that the each plan will take our country in a very different direction. The only say we have in the process is our ballots.
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“When will I have to start paying for my own health care?”
Each candidate comes with very clear stance on the recently upheld Affordable Care Act. Obama created it and would see it fully implemented in his second term, while Romney would begin the process to have it repealed on day one.
What the candidates agree on:
Not much, but they do both believe that heath care reform in this country is necessary.
What the candidates disagree on:
President Obama’s heath care plan has already passed through the House and the Senate and has been made official legislative law. Under this Affordable Care Act, we stay on our parent’s insurance plans until we turn 26. Romney vehemently opposes the act and has yet to reveal a replacement to “Obama-Care”. He has hinted that he might support retaining provisions like the one keeping us on our parent’s plans until our mid-twenties.
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“How will this election impact the decisions I can make about my own body?”
There are a series of questions to go along with this topic—Should birth control be a mandatory component of health policies that employers provide female employees? Are women’s rights on the road to being redefined? Should abortion be legal? Should abortion be legal only in certain cases? Neither of the candidates has delved deeply into these issues on the campaign trail, but it is safe to assume that their stances align with those of their respective parties. The election will decide all of these questions. If you feel strongly about any one of these issues—my guess is that you do—then get to the polls on November 6.
Our say in this election is bigger than you might think. There are seven million more women eligible to vote than men. Regardless of which candidate you support, these numbers demonstrate that women can actually decide this election.
“Ultimately, it will be up to the voters—to you—to decide which path we should take,” Obama said during the debate.
I submit to you, ladies, that our stake in this election is too high. We need to cast our votes not just for a candidate, but also for the kind of nation that we want to see rise from the depths of this clinging depression. With our votes, we have the final say.
Click here to register to vote in Pennsylvania by this Tuesday, October 9.