My fellow Americans, it’s almost time.
As stated in Title 2, Chapter 1, Section 1, of the U.S. Code, Election Day shall occur on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. That means on November 5, 2024, it is the civic duty and responsibility of eligible adult citizens of the United States of America to cast their vote for their next slate of representatives.
I know most well-informed Americans are already aware of this.
I also know many of those same Americans are probably sick, tired, and frustrated to no end about the current state of politics in the United States. I count myself among those Americans.
But no matter how angry or irate we are about the current state of the discourse, it’s critical that we vote. It is one of the most tangible measures of influence that we, the ordinary citizens of this Country, can have on the direction of this country. It’s how we, as a nation and as a collective, make our voices heard. We may not always agree with those in power or how they conduct themselves in guiding matters of law or policy, but our votes are what enables their efforts.
And sadly, the simple act of voting has been subject to plenty of complications. The history of voting rights in America has been anything but ideal. In recent years, political polarization has resulted in numerous efforts to undermine or hinder voting for certain populations. It varies from state to state, but that’s exactly why now is the time to be proactive about voting.
As I write this, Election Day is still weeks away. For some people, they haven’t planned that far ahead. They haven’t even figured out what costume they’ll wear for Halloween or what they’ll have for dinner three days from now. For those who have a regular job or work multiple jobs, just making the time to vote might be daunting.
But that’s all the more reason to start planning now. If you’ve just stumbled across this website or somehow clicked here on accident, consider this an impassioned plea.
Be proactive!
Make plans now!
Make a concerted effort to vote!
If you’re not sure what the procedure is, use whatever resource you can to register or obtain a necessary ID. One of the best resources that I’ve found, which helped me a great deal when I moved to my current home, is Vote.org. It’s a simple, straightforward web resource that can be accessed on most any device connected to the internet. And it’ll give you the information you need to register to vote.
Again, it varies from state to state. Some states have more paperwork and legal loopholes than others. And some are a lot less scrupulous than others when it comes to ensuring eligible citizens can vote. Regardless of their stated reasons for doing so (which is almost always political and self-serving), I encourage everyone within these states to do what they must to navigate these obstacles, even if they seem absurd.
Some of those absurdities might take more time than others. Even for those that don’t, voting might still be challenging, simply because if work schedules and personal/family obligations. If your state allows early voting, then this is the perfect time to look into it. If you simply need to make accommodations at work or with family, this is the perfect time to plan for that, as well.
Whatever you have to do, go ahead and do it. The sooner you do it, the less stressful it’ll be. And, most importantly, your country will be better in the long run.
I’ll say it one more time for dramatic effect.
Go to Vote.org and learn what you have to do!
Vote, my fellow Americans!
Make plans now!
The future of America literally depends on it.
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