As of Oct. 29, the day of this publication, we are only one week away from the 2024 election. That is seven days separating now and one of the most important days of our young lives, especially as this is the first presidential election in which a strong majority of Hamline students are eligible to vote in.
This is one of the highest-stakes elections in the last few decades. Landmark policies have emerged from both candidates, with some decisions drastically impacting queer and trans individuals, as well as people with uteruses and immigrants among others.
It is no secret that these upcoming months have been some of the most stressful, as we are processing that the safety and security of our communities and our country lay in our hands on Nov. 5. Anxiety among voters has risen, and young voters fear for the future of the nation as well as the future of their own lives.
There is a common misconception that a singular vote does not matter. You often hear people make offhanded comments about how they will abstain from voting because their one vote does not make a difference, or that they do not care too much about the presidential election to make the effort to go to the polls. Voters may also abstain from voting for the “lesser of two evils.”
We can believe that the two-party system is not working and that we should not have to vote for the lesser of two evils. However, we have to acknowledge that that is the reality, and that is what needs to be done. While voters may find they have more alignment with an independent candidate, the unfortunate reality is that the current two-party system does not provide enough support for independent candidates.
However, local and state government voting allows the space for independent candidates to take the lead. There is evidence, for example in the state of Nebraska there is an independent candidate Dan Osborn who has been making his mark with his cross-state campaigns, that independents can make an impact in local government, but we need to start locally before we can go nationally.
Through our efforts of voting on both the local and national levels, we can change the duopoly by increasing independent candidate visibility. There has been a post circulating Instagram these last few weeks that compares voting to riding public transportation. One bus may not take you directly to where you are going, but it takes you closer than another one would. It also stated that you do not stay home and cry because that one bus does not take you directly where you need to go. You take it because you need to go there and you have no excuse not to be there.
Yet, one vote does matter. It may not be the one deciding vote between one candidate or the other, but one vote does add another number to who wins the electoral college and who wins the citizen majority. Even if a candidate in the duopoly system does not align with your views and ideologies, a vote is still one of the most important political actions you can take.
It is our responsibility as people to do what we can to make the lives our ourselves and the members of our community the best they can be. It is our responsibility as members of the Hamline community to support each other and do the work that will benefit the people we surround ourselves with. It is our responsibility to go out and make every one of our voices heard. Even if you may not be directly impacted by these policies, someone you may care for is. It is your duty as eligible American citizens to vote for those you care about and vote for those who cannot.