By Asef Hoque
Central Votes Member
At times like this, people might often feel disconnected and distant from the current system. With protests raging and talks about discrimination flooding news outlets, it is even more evident that minorities feel further excluded from the existing system. However, voting is a fundamental right and privilege that is given to us. Which is why we must exercise it to make our voices heard. If you ever believe that a single vote might not amount to much, just look at the case of the presidential election of the year 2000. Al Gore, one of the presidential candidates, lost the election in Florida by only 537 votes, which was only a margin of 0.0009%. With the electoral college system of winner takes all the delegates, all of the delegates in Florida went to the other candidate.
In an article published in The Washington Post, the writer analyzed the 2016 election results in Michigan were decided by a crucial 11,000 votes. Your vote will decide how your taxes, healthcare, education, social security, and future are decided. With the ongoing pandemic, people need to understand that it’s ever more important to cast votes and pick leaders who represent their views. If it is inconvenient to go to the polling stations to vote, you can apply for an absentee ballot by downloading the application form online. Central Votes and the Volunteer Center at Central Michigan University have put together a complete absentee voting guide that can be found here:
https://www.cmich.edu/colleges/class/EthicsCenter/CMUVote/Pages/Information-about-Absentee-Voting.aspx
Therefore, this coming election, it is even more crucial to make your voice heard by being fired up and coming together regardless of color, race, and religion. We must be united to build America together.
By Asef Hoque
Central Votes Member
09/13/2020
Comments