“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people.” Walter H. Judd once said. “Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote — a very different thing.” Our own Dr. Earl Fry specifically addressed the need for our generation to vote in an October 2015 Twitter chat. On September 22nd, our Office of Civic Engagement will continue the conversation by talking about why all votes matter.

Says Kelsey Cogswell, assistant to the Director of the Office of Civil Engagement: “This is an election where some people are saying that they don’t know who to vote for and even that they aren’t going to vote because no candidate is their favorite. We want students to understand that voting is important even when there is not one favored candidate.”

It may easily be argued that this upcoming presidential election, more so than any other, is of paramount importance. With such polarizing candidates, every vote matters. Of this, Ms. Cogswell said, “When talking politics, I’ve often heard people say something like, ‘It doesn’t really matter if I vote, I’m just one person. What difference would it make?’” This is exactly the kind of mindset #AllVotesMatter hopes to combat. Holly Richardson,  a political activist, dynamic speaker, blog writer, social media consultant, small business owner, and a Republican. It is hoped that Mrs. Richardson’s words will inspire students to vote.

However, #AllVotesMatter is not the only way in which the Office of Civic Engagement is hoping to  rally students. At 3pm on September 20th at the WILK Garden Court , they are hosting a Political Involvement Fair where various party representatives will answer any questions students might have. Additionally, there will be a Voter Registration Drive on both September 27th and the 28th at the WILK (inside and outside). Within a few minutes, you can be registered to vote!

      All votes matter. When you’re talking with someone, don’t you like it when they hear you? Why should this, the choosing of the president of the United States, be any different? So, don’t forget to go the seminar, don’t forget to vote, and remember: #AllVotesMatter.

Will You Step Up to the Plate and Vote?