Why Vote?

I know many people who are afraid to vote. They believe they don’t have enough information to make an informed decision, that they’re not passionate enough about politics to vote, or that their vote won’t count. I’m here to tell you that your vote really does matter. The difference between a candidate winning or losing can be just a couple of votes.

It can be overwhelming in the weeks leading up to an election because a lot of information is coming at you from different sides. Lean into it, listen to other people’s opinions, listen to different news channels, and read articles from many sources. It is important to absorb information from a variety of sources to put together your own thoughts and opinions on candidates and their stances on varying political issues. This is crucial to remember for local, state, and national elections. 

This summer, I was an intern with the Center for Sustainable Development, and we completed an entire presentation on advocacy. We came up with several pathways to advocacy: 

• Vote!

• Participate in public demonstrations

• Serve as a community organizer

• Know your rights & the risks

• Start/Sign petitions

• Participate in town halls

• Assist in local campaigns

• Know who your representatives are & where they stand on issues of interest

• Contact local representative(s)

• Learn about specific issues (What’s at stake? Who will be affected?)

• Contribute to community dialogue                                                 

• Support advocacy organizations already working on issues of interest ($, distribution lists, etc.)

This presidential election, President Donald Trump is the Republican Party nominee running with Vice President Mike Pence, and Former Vice President Joe Biden is the Democrat Party nominee running with Senator Kamala Harris of California. Roque De La Fuente is the Alliance Party nominee running with Darcy G. Richardson, Howie Hawkins is the Green Party nominee running with Angela Walker, and Jo Jorgenson is the Libertarian nominee running with Jeremy Cohen. 

Where do we find information about the candidates? 

• A non-partisan organization that has information on how to register to vote and hot topics in the world today.

• If you click on this link, it will provide you with the tools you need to research before you vote. If you find the voter guides tab and type in your address, it will give you information on your local, state, and national elections. If you’re specifically looking for information about the presidential election, there’s a tab that will give you information on each candidate’s background and their stance on different issues. I found this link to be the most helpful resource!

News Channels: I listed these since they have been recommended by professors as channels that tend to remain non-partisan. However, I do encourage you to read other newspapers and watch other channels, even if they are biased. Make sure you’re also reading or watching from other perspectives as well.

• NBC 

• CBS 

• PBS NewsHour

I only included these two resources because they give you a basic set of information, but it is up to you to consult other diverse sources in order to decide who you will be voting for this election. 2020 has been a rough year, and a lot of devastating events have occurred in the past couple of months. Issues regarding social justice, health, the environment, and the economy have become increasingly visible, and it is up to you to make a decision that you believe will help our country move in the right direction and find solutions for the struggles we are going through.  

The deadline to register to vote in South Carolina is OCTOBER 3, so don’t miss it!

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