Brittany Henderson
MC301 Contributor
In the wake of a pandemic, Americans across the United States are gearing up for an unforgettable election. Stepping away from the political parties, it is important to understand that the votes from college students have an impact during elections.
Some students are undecided on whether they will be voting in 2020.
Amani Jackson, a senior speech communications from Greensboro, N.C., encourages everyone to vote.
“There’s only one way to find out if your vote counts. VOTE!” said Jackson. “Damned if we do, damned if we don’t. Might as well just do it.”
Andrienne McGloster, a junior physical education major at Jackson State University and registered voter, is unsure if she is going to participate in the upcoming election.
She explained her contemplation by saying, “I’m not a fan of voting. I also feel as though my vote doesn’t matter.”
However, there is proof that every single ballot counts.
The most recent example happened during the election of 2000, when Al Gore lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush.
According to Time.com, Bush won the election with 277 Electoral College votes to Gore’s 266 Electoral College votes. However, Gore had 500,000 more popular votes.
With this knowledge, had roughly 600 registered voters, who had decided their vote did not matter, shown up to the polling booth and voted for Gore, the United States would have seen a completely different president in history books.
Jaylen Taylor, a senior journalism and media studies major from Canton, Miss., was very excited to share that he will be voting in this year’s presidential election.
Taylor expressed the importance of voting, saying, “It is important because there has been a lot of injustice going on this year dealing with young, black men and women. I think it’s time we get the people in office that have our (the black community) best interest in heart.”
Lolita D. Gray, Ph.D., Associate Professor for the Department of Political Science at JSU, explained why it is imperative to vote in all elections, not just the one that determines presidency.
“The U.S. President does not govern alone. The U.S. National Government is composed of three co-equal branches. The duties and responsibilities of each branch of government differ. However, each are coequal and each, additionally, has the power of Checks and Balances,” said Gray.
Gray went on to explain the different levels of government, simply put:
- The Legislative Branch is who makes the laws.
- The Executive Branch is who carries out the laws.
- The Judicial Branch is who interprets the laws.
The President of the United States falls under the executive branch; meaning, there are two other branches that are vital to taxpayers and must be researched.
“I think the voting process begins, most importantly, with getting to know the candidates’ platform,” Gray added, “Informed voting and/or retrospective voting is crucial.”
The voting system works if voters are well informed, not only on who the candidates are but how much their vote truly matters.
For more information on voting resources, visit Vote.org.
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