VOTING IS ESSENTIAL
written by Michael Evans
November 3 can’t come soon enough. It’s the 2020 presidential election, and so much is riding on what experts are calling the “most important election of your lifetime.” But, they say that every election – and they’re never wrong.
Each passing year seems to become more politically charged than the previous, for better or for worse. Is it the culmination of several issues that have been bubbling up over the years that are simultaneously reaching their boiling points? Or is it that our society has more exposure to news, infotainment, information, and misinformation than ever before? Perhaps it’s a domino effect, a ball of wax, a house of cards, or whatever analogy you choose to describe the ongoing issues that continue to build upon one another?
Likely, the answer is “all of the above” that’s led to our nation’s current state of affairs.
For the first time in over a century, a global health pandemic has transformed the world, with the coronavirus infecting millions, and killing over 500,000 people since the beginning of the year. We’ve tackled COVID-19 head-on with everything from sheltering in place, to social distancing, cancelations, shut-ins, shutdowns, mask wearing, and hand washing.
What once felt like a team effort to defeat this virus has undeniably turned into a political firestorm. Leaders from all three levels of government in every state and community have approached the pandemic in very different ways: the mayors of Las Vegas and San Francisco, for instance, are polar opposites in how they’ve dealt with COVID-19 (I’ll let you decide which one is good and which one is atrocious).
The government actions and/or inactions to the crisis have sparked pushback from citizens who have felt their voice was not heard. In Ohio, protestors swarmed the home of the state Director of Health, Dr. Amy Acton, who signed executive orders alongside the Governor, to which groups of Ohioans took opposition. Acton has since resigned from her role, in what some say was a result of these demonstrations.
In the midst of the pandemic, protests flooded the streets of cities nationwide in response to the death of George Floyd, a black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police. This tragedy reignited the Black Lives Matter movement, calling for policy changes to address systemic racism within law enforcement and other industries. A spotlight has been placed on racially insensitive and inequitable aspects of our culture, resulting in the removal of Confederate statues and flags, revisions to politically incorrect brands and logos, and the inclusion of more diverse representation of BIPOC.
Still lingering on the minds and hearts of many is the presidential election of 2016. Whether or not your candidate of choice was declared the victor, the events taught us a great deal about the electoral process. What happened with the popular vote may leave you discouraged in the voting system (or encouraged, depending on whether you’re a glass half empty or a glass half full kind of person). But let’s not forget about the many elections before and since then that were “too close to call,” required recounts, and were determined by literally just a handful of votes. Long story short: your voice and your vote matter.
While many issues have snagged national headlines, change truly happens from the bottom-up.
Not all ballot initiatives are as divisive or controversial as immigration or women’s rights, but they are just as important. Many issues on the local level directly affect your day-to-day life and livelihood. Parks, schools, police, roads, libraries, and the local economy are all determined by you showing up to the polls each election season. This is why being civic minded in every way possible is a right and privilege that we must take seriously.
Educate yourself, register to vote, and show up to the ballot box this November 3. Change can only happen if we all do our duty. Your life, and the collective lives of our nation, depend on it.
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Michael Evans currently resides in Ohio. Michael is a lover of travel, writing, Disney, fitness, and all things Ohio.
