Unless you haven’t been paying attention over the past couple of years, you might know there’s an election coming up in just 47 days, headlined by a race for the next President of the United States between the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, and the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
And that’s not all. All 435 seats in Congress are being contested, with several different local and statewide elections also on the ballot and, in some states, constitutional measures, including abortion-related amendments in 12 states. Despite all that being on the line this November and the major voter turnout by college students in the 2020 election (66% of all college students), the opposite might be true this time around.
The 2022 midterm elections might be a nightmarish sign of things to come, as only 31.3% of college students voted in that election, which was down from 40% in the 2018 midterms according to the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement. Thus, while 66% in the last general election year might look good on paper, it is more likely it was an outlier than a sign of something to be continued. And, to an extent, I understand it a bit. Politics can be exhausting, frustrating, head-scratching and too much to handle at times.
But for two reasons, I urge you to put aside the excuses and go with action. This election, make the decision to vote.
Villanova is located in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a state projected to be the definitive battleground state of this election, with a Sept. 6 CBS poll putting the state deadlocked at 50% for Harris, 50% for Trump despite a large disparity in the Senate race – 48% for Bob Casey, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican challenger Dave McCormick. Thus, for all those who say “Oh, my vote doesn’t matter anyways,” well, yeah, it actually does. Pennsylvania can come down to just a few thousand votes, a few thousand votes that could determine the winner of the election and the direction of the country. Vote for one side, vote for the other, but not voting at all is simply the wrong choice to make 47 days from now. There is also a civic duty and downright responsibility we have this November, whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent. And even more so, this is the first presidential election that many Villanovans can vote in. This election is also likely to change the face of our lives for at least the next four years.
This election determines the White House, determines who controls Congress until the midterms and who determines multiple statewide positions, too. It determines so many other factors, too, such as Supreme Court positions for decades to come, access to abortions, how we as a nation deal with foreign conflicts like Israel/Palestine, the war in Ukraine and more, climate change, LGBTQIA+ rights and more. Don’t take it from one writer from one newspaper. Do the research, look at the op-eds, look at the speeches and rallies and campaign platforms.
Many countries in the world do not get the right to vote and choose a nation’s leaders. We do, and it is a testament to the democracy of America that this right has persisted for almost three centuries. Wars are fought for this right, and blood is spilled in other countries for the right, and yet, many Villanovans will sit idly by and ignore that right.
For the first time ever, on-campus voting will be active, a further reason why this year is the time to vote. Simply register online and take that mailed registration card to your on-campus location and, congratulations, you’ve done a great thing for your party, for your country and for your future.
