Do you matter?

“To make democracy work, we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain.” Louis L'Amour

We have the freedom to choose our leaders and engage on the issues that we care about. That means we can build power in our communities and create real change. Our right to vote gives us that power.  Our right to vote means that we matter.  Make a difference.  Get out and vote.

As our nation has many political discussions, debates, arguments today, I like to always ask first, “Did you vote?”  If they answer no, I generally will change the topic.  As Mr. L’Amour said, “One who does not vote, has no right to complain.”   We need to all help encourage more voter turnout.

Some encouraging data this year suggests turnout has been higher in this season’s special elections and primaries, experts say that this November it is still unlikely to break out of the middling range it has been stuck in for nearly a century.  People often cite a few basic reasons for why they do not vote in midterm elections: they are either too busy or not interested, according to Dr. McDonald’s analysis of responses to the Census Bureau from 2000 to 2016.  I would argue that this year there is more interest than in many years past.  Gun violence, mental health, addiction, healthcare, budgets, defense spending, immigration, the list goes on. 

Americans used to vote at much higher rates — sometimes above 80 percent in the second half of the 19th century, but turnout declined sharply from 1900 through the 1940s, as the power of the party machines declined and voter suppression shut out African Americans in the South and many immigrants in the North. The rate of voting has never recovered.

Did you know the last time more than half of eligible voters turned out for a midterm election was 1914?

The United States’ turnout in national elections lags behind other democratic countries with developed economies, ranking 26th out of 32 among peers in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (Pew Research Center).

Perhaps the most significant change has been in who votes. Unlike in the 19th century, voter turnout is now highly correlated with class. More than 80 percent of Americans with college degrees vote compared with about 40 percent of Americans without high school degrees, according to Jonathan Nagler, a political scientist at New York University and co-author of a 2014 book, “Who Votes Now” (also cited in the New York Times).

As the 2018 elections approach, we’re seeing a growing range of threats to voting: Strict voter registration rules in Georgia that could create hurdles for minority voters; a voter ID law in North Dakota, blessed by the Supreme Court, that’s likely to hit Native Americans hardest; and in several states, purges of the rolls that risk disenfranchising eligible voters. Meanwhile, gerrymandered maps in several large states are set to produce results that don’t reflect the will of voters. And although intelligence officials have warned that foreign adversaries are likely to attack our election systems again, few states have done enough to keep the vote secure. But all of this is secondary if we cannot even get a majority of Americans to vote.

We all need to encourage others to vote, to vote because every election matters. Vote because the choices you will make matter. Vote because elections aren’t simply about your representatives in Washington or who is OUR president.  When we vote for our state and local officials, we make choices that will have very direct and concrete effects on our daily lives. 

You matter. Your family matters.  Voting matters. When voters don’t turn out to choose their local and state governments, they receive a government that doesn’t represent them.

This November, Americans have the opportunity to make history – if 50% of voters vote in the upcoming midterm election, it would be the highest midterm turnout in the last 100 years.  And each vote counts – with 435 House and 35 Senate seats, most governors and hundreds of mayors and local seats up for election, the midterms will influence our nation on through 2030 and beyond. 

The Get Out the Vote 2018 campaign aims to celebrate and promote voting and voters. New non-partisan PSAs encourage all audiences to have a voice in our democracy this November and connect them with resources to easily engage in the voting process through Election Day.

And as an additional reminder, if you do not have time on Election Day to vote and can’t access a mail-in/absentee ballot, you are allowed to take up to two hours off without loss of pay for this purpose. Such time off should be taken at the beginning or end of your regular shift, whichever allows for more free time to vote.  We have options people (btw, I would love to see a secure way for Americans to vote through their cell phones someday).

“Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Elections aren't just about who votes but who doesn't vote.” Michelle Obama

80 years apart, both relevant statements.  Please Vote.

Together.  We.  Win.

Dave Harmon
People Division
“Kindness is Currency”
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidharmonhr

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