Americans have a responsibility to vote in this election

by LAUREN BOYETT

Staff Writer

Election season is upon us, and with it comes a host of civic responsibilities. Arguably the most important responsibility Americans have right now is to vote in the upcoming 2024 General Election. 

At this point in the election cycle, the vast majority of eligible citizens who plan to vote, know exactly who they will cast a ballot for. The true struggle is convincing people to go out and vote in the first place. In the 2020 General Election, obstacles such as “long lines or safety concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic” or “issues with submitting absentee or mail ballots” were common reasons why eligible citizens were unable to vote, according to Pew Research Center. 

However, despite all of these difficulties, the 2020 General election had the highest voter turnout of the 21st century.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “In 2020, 67% of all citizens aged 18 and older reported voting, up 5 percentage points from 2016.” This is primarily because of the alternative voting methods offered, notably absentee or mail-in ballots. Despite the raging pandemic, American voters knew it was their duty to make their voices heard. 

“Without voicing your opinion, you give up your ability to defend yourself and others,” Daniel Wheeler, a freshman chemistry major said. 

Additionally, according to a 2022 Pew Research Center study, “Around seven-in-ten U.S. adults (69%) say it’s very important to vote in elections to be a good member of society.” 

“I think different people have different reasons for voting, and all of them are valid. […] But for me, I think of voting as an expression of confidence in my own voice,” Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Jared McDonald said. “Casting a ballot is my way of saying that I have a preference in how my government is run and it deserves to be heard.” 

Presidential candidates, former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris debated each other on Sept. 10, and the university hosted a live watch party for students in the Digital Auditorium at the Hurley Convergence Center. McDonald helped to moderate the event by providing commentary and contextual information.

Many students attended the event, including Wheeler. 

“I’m glad they’ve cracked down harder on the interruptions, as Trump’s aggressive style detracts from a lot of the discussion that should be had,” he said.

This debate was especially interesting because of the subjects being discussed. The topics of immigration and abortion have recently become increasingly controversial and polarized. This is especially true of abortion. After Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022, federal abortion protections were no more, and individual states were given the right to set their own laws regarding abortion. Harris and Trump debated with the intention of swaying undecided voters to their side. The debate structure allowed candidates two minutes each to answer each question asked by the moderators, and one minute each for rebuttals. 

Trump’s arguments were flimsy compared to Harris’s. His claims of ninth-month abortions are completely untrue, and he was reminded by the moderators that it is illegal in every state of the United States to kill a baby after it has been born. He also claimed that in Springfield, Ohio, immigrants were eating the resident’s pets. This too, was quickly fact-checked by the moderators. 

The fact that Trump knew he could get away with such obviously untrue statements on national television, his continuous support of harmful policies such as the repeal of Roe v Wade, and his track record of lying even when there are mountains of evidence against him, shows him to be completely untrustworthy, and can only further prove how unfit he is to be President.

“The debate also highlighted how difficult it is to teach political science in a neutral, objective way these days. […] But some of the things Trump said during the debate, specifically about immigrant groups, would violate my own classroom rules and get you kicked out,” McDonald said. Polarizing topics are just one of many reasons why it has become increasingly difficult to find common ground and have civil debates between the two major parties. 

Voting in an election is one of the few ways the average American can make their voice heard by those in power and influence who hold those positions. It is the easiest way to hold elected officials accountable for their actions and to make sure that the bills signed into law are ones that will positively impact society. Mail ballots, absentee ballots and early voting policies are some of the many ways voting has been made easier for the average American. If you don’t vote, you automatically make it unnecessarily difficult to have a say in the laws and policies that affect you and your loved ones. There is no excuse. If you can vote, you should vote.