Why all Bucknell students must register to vote
Today is your final opportunity
We, as Americans, are lucky to live in a democracy. We get to choose our elected officials. We get to vote on referendums and shape the society in which we live. This is not a right extended to all people – not even all people who live in the USA.
The outcome of this election will change the course history. It doesn’t matter who you support. This election could change your life, even if now you think it doesn’t affect you. If it truly doesn’t affect you, you’re unique in a world of billions of people it does affect. It will impact friends, peers or acquaintances. America is the most powerful country in the world right now. This election matters for more than just America.
This year, Pennsylvania is a swing state. It’s a state that can go either way in the election and can mean the difference between victory and defeat. It’s electoral votes have gone to the democratic candidate for the past six elections, but this election could change that. While Philadelphia is getting bluer (more Democratic), the rest of the state is getting redder (more Republican). The margin of victory for the democrats in Pennsylvania has been steadily decreasing these past several elections, and this November, the state could tip. As a student of Bucknell University, every vote here counts to tip it one way or another.
Today is the last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania. On the Bucknell campus, students station themselves on campus with voter registration forms, making registration accessible and easy. They’re most often outside of the library until five. Students do the same on several other college campuses, and in some states, the date of registration extends past today.
The democracies of the world exist because people killed and died to give their countries the right to vote, and America is no exception. At every step of freedom in our country’s history, Americans died: The War of Independence. The Civil War. Suffrage. Civil Rights. Whether a war or a protest, other people died for your right to vote and whoever the candidates are now, it doesn’t change that. Your decision not to vote is an insult to our democracy and their legacy.
To get to the root of the thought process, I asked some students of Bucknell University if they’re voting.
Lauren Paddock, 18, Animal Behavior
“Heck yeah I’m voting! Every vote counts, especially in PA, which is why I re-registered here. If young people want their voices heard and have a say in who makes the decisions for our future, the easiest way is just to vote for who you want to represent you!”
Ellie Hislop, 18, Undeclared
“I’m voting because in four years I will graduate and go into the real world, at which point I will really care who is making decisions about college debt, health insurance, etc.”
Christine Cha, 19, Undecided
“I plan to vote because I want to voice out my beliefs and issues through the voice of the legislator or elected official I vote for. I do not want to live with the regret of not voicing out my opinions about what is happening around me, especially when it comes to controversial issues like war, abortion and immigration.”
Clarissa Hand, 18, Biology
“I am voting because I believe that it is part of being a respectful and responsible citizen. Plus, I feel that both legislation and presidential positions have direct effects on my life so I want to ensure that the values I have are being upheld by the government.”
Caldwell Harden, 20, Political Science & Economics
“I plan to vote because it’s the easiest and most impactful way I can influence our democracy.”
Fern Morrison, 19, Chemical Engineering
“I plan to vote for Hillary. She will be better for the economy with respect to innovation/start ups/technology. She is forward thinking and plans to put money into research and education. She will also be better for the environment because she actually believes in global warming.”
Not everyone, however, is so enthusiastic.
Kyla Waldron, 18, Animal Behavior
“I’m not voting because I’m not registered and I’m not very educated about politics, especially in this year’s election. I don’t really like either of the candidates.”
Christopher Rakowski, 18
“I do not plan to vote because I cannot morally justify voting for either of the candidates. I also don’t agree with many of the policies that they have put forth.”
Unfortunately, this issue is not unique to this election. Everyday that we’re alive, we’re affected by what people have voted in the past. In 2012, only 45% of Americans between the ages of 18-29 voted. In 2014, only 20% of youth in the same age range voted. As young Americans, we tend to think that we don’t count. We live in a society where the “adults” make the decisions, but often, we see and experience things our parents’ generation doesn’t. Ultimately our future is at stake.
Your vote counts.