Many Georgetown students will have their first opportunity to vote in a presidential election this upcoming November, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Whether America elects its first African American president or its first female vice president, voters have an unprecedented opportunity to break down barriers for women and minorities. The country’s mood is unique too; the overwhelming majority of voters are looking for change after an administration that has wrought eight years of havoc on this country. It’s time for Georgetown students to exercise their rights by requesting an absentee ballot and voting for whichever candidate they feel will bring the change we need. There is no excuse for students who live four miles from the Capitol and two-and-a-half miles from the White House to avoid participating in our democracy.
College students and young voters have traditionally voted at a disproportionately lower rate than other demographics. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, only 47 percent of citizens under the age of 25 voted in the 2004 presidential election, the lowest of the all the age brackets. Voters aged 65-74, on the other hand, turned out at a 73 percent rate in the 2004 election. The enthusiasm and involvement of youth voters in this year’s primaries suggest that youth voters might begin to close this embarrassingly large gap.
Both candidates have pledged to expand and redraw the electoral map, focusing on not only typical swing states like Ohio and Florida, but also on potential new battlegrounds such as Virginia, Nevada, and North Carolina. The votes of students from these states could have a tremendous impact on the outcome of the presidential election.
But students from battleground states are not the only ones who need to vote; even those from solidly red or blue states should not be dissuaded from casting a ballot. There are other tight contests to elect members of Congress, governors, and other elected representatives.
For those who have not already done so, now is the time to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. Students who live on campus can benefit from the College Democrats’ Dorm Storm initiative, which has the ambitious and admirable goal of distributing absentee ballots in every single residential hall at Georgetown. The University’s mailing service is notoriously inefficient, so students shouldn’t wait to apply for a ballot. If you happen to go home between now and November 4, the date of the general election, look into early voting to avoid relying on the mail.
No matter what happens, the 2008 election promises to be a historic one. Don’t miss out on being part of it. It takes a minimal amount of effort to get an absentee ballot and fulfill the duty of each American: to vote.
