Voting: It’s your civic duty – that’s what I’ve heard people say. Until recently, I brushed them off along with those who swear they can save the planet one recycled bottle at a time. They are nice sentiments, but how realistic are they? I guess I never thought my vote really counted among the hundreds of millions of others in America.
That all changed when I started my internship through Arizona State University this semester. The program is called News21, gathering students from around the country to work on a huge multimedia project starting in the spring semester and running through the summer. This year’s topic: American voting rights.
Many people don’t see voting rights as much of an issue anymore. African American men gained the right to vote in 1870. Women have had the right to vote since 1920. But many don’t realize all the voting restrictions still in place in many states across the country.
My research for this internship led me to discover voter identification laws, requiring people in certain states to present a photo ID before casting a ballot. Some states are fighting for two-tier registration systems, which would require voters to present proof of citizenship to register for local and state elections.
Other states, including Ohio and North Carolina, have decreased their number of early voting hours and days.
Many states have voter registration drives, aiming to increase voter turnout. However, Virginia, Florida, Illinois and Texas have passed laws regulating voter registration drives.
The common thread: Each restriction decreases the number of voters at the polls. Our job is to not let this happen.
The Iowa caucus shows the incredible importance of voting. Ted Cruz won the Republican primary with 27.6 percent of the party’s votes, but both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio had over 23 percent of the votes as well. The Democratic candidates were so close the party refused to declare an official winner the night of the election. Hillary Clinton defeated Bernie Sanders by a mere .3 percent. Those people’s votes really counted, and the race has just begun.
New Hampshire’s primary last week was more decisive, but also opened that ever-elusive door of possibilities. Trump toppled Cruz and Rubio with 35.3 percent of the votes, but the dark horse John Kasich slid into second place with 15.8 percent of the GOP’s votes. Sanders handedly crushed Clinton with 60.4 percent of the Democrats’ votes. Although the percentages were much farther apart for this election, the results show people’s votes count. Cruz won in Iowa, while Trump was victorious in New Hampshire. Kasich managed to finagle second place in New Hampshire, while he didn’t even make the top three candidates in Iowa. Clinton squeaked out with a win in Iowa, but was demolished by Sanders in New Hampshire.
The game is on.
Now, along with the South Carolina and Nevada primaries coming up, Super Tuesday is on its way. That’s right, folks. Fourteen elections will take place on March 1. What a way to start the month.
I’m no political expert. I know that there are many politicians and professionals predicting, postulating and praying for certain results in this election. But for the first time since I turned 18, I’m really excited to cast my vote. I’m grateful for the ability to participate in the democratic process. And I encourage my fellow classmates and citizens to do the same.
Lian Bunny is Photo Editor of the Bona Venture. Her email is
bunnyla13@bonaventure.edu
