A Plea for votes
Tuesday, September 17, 2024, was National Voter Registration Day. In honor of National Voter Registration Day, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Psi Omega Zeta Chapter set up a bipartisan voter registration table on the west side of the city.
At the voter registration table, we asked passersby “if they were registered to vote. Many of them were registered and planning to vote. I was alarmed and saddened at the amount of people that either weren’t voting or were not registered.
They stated their choice with conviction, some defended their selection. A few took the time to explain why they weren’t voting, while others seemed confident in choosing Former President Trump as their candidate for President.
I wonder if in preparation to choose a candidate, do people really listen and pay attention to the policies a candidate stands for? Do they consider if the policies for this country’s progress are policies that will positively or negatively impact the country and the lives of its constituents?
Does the candidate see you the same way you see yourself? For example, if you are a person of color, does your candidate say people of color when they refer to your race or ethnic group? Does the candidate want to help your race or ethnic group live the “American Dream”? Can the candidate, through their own life experiences or through their constituency’s life experiences, relate to how the economy impacts the food on tables, or the income to afford childcare?
Does the candidate have a good knowledge of bipartisan politics and works across the aisle to create laws.
We are 48 days away from the Presidential Election. Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz are at the top of the Democratic ticket, while Former President Donald Trump and Senator JD Vance are at the top of the Republican Ticket.
For those that don’t like either candidate, determine whose rhetoric, governance and policies you are willing to live with for years and the imprint they will leave on the country after their term.
There is still time to register to vote, election day is November 5.
No matter what your choice is, you must vote. A choice to not vote is like giving your vote to the candidate you don’t want to win.
~ Lydia Alston-Murphy, is political editorial writer for the Minority Reporter. Writing thought provoking articles with a focus on politics in all levels of government. Email: alstonmurphy@gmail.com
Comentarios