Register to Vote and Decide the Future of America
BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer
September 27 is National Voter Registration Day, where organizations, volunteers, and public figures will help encourage Americans to register and vote.
Every election cycle, millions of Americans don’t vote because they missed the voter registration deadline or aren’t sure how to register. To combat this problem, the National Association of Secretaries of State declared the fourth Tuesday of every September as National Voter Registration Day.
The day before National Voter Registration Day is the first presidential debate. Voters should look to the debates to help make this tough decision and stay well informed on domestic and foreign policy issues.
In all, there will be four presidential debates taking place on:
Monday, September 26
Tuesday, October 4
Sunday, October 9
Wednesday, October 19.
Each debate will air at 9pm to 10:30pm ET (8pm – 9:30pm CT, 7pm – 8:30pm MT, 6pm – 7:30pm PT).
Image Credit: Chicago TribuneThe upcoming presidential election has already proven to be unprecedented and full of surprises, making it one of the most critical years for voters. The two primary presidential candidates – Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton – are both two of the least liked and least trusted candidates in the nation’s modern history. American attitudes towards the candidates have caused them to be neck-and-neck in national polls. Historically, candidates hold upwards of 50% of the pre-election support, but both Trump and Clinton are only holding about 40% each.
The low support for both major party candidates emphasizes the importance of voting in November. Neither Democrat nor Republican voters will decide the outcome of the presidential election; rather, it will be up to the other 20% of unregistered, undecided, and third party voters.
Those who are not registered to vote will not be able to impact this election. Since Arab Americans have shown that they are overwhelmingly undecided in this race, as well as unsatisfied with their choices, hope for an improved country rests in the hands of the citizens – not the politicians.
Many voters are unhappy with every option, which is why it’s that much more imperative to get politically active! Political change is a long process, but it starts with the integration of more minds in the system that can sway the important decisions down the road.
Additionally, many unregistered voters believe that their vote does not count. But that can only be true if no one votes. If Arab Americans vote in tremendous numbers, the community becomes a powerful bloc that must be listened to by politicians who want and need their vote to win. In order for the community to see the changes they would like in their country, they must be active members, voice their concerns, and sit at the decision table.
If you are an Arab American who is eligible to vote, but not registered, please make sure you do so before your state’s registration deadline. And if you are registered to vote, be sure to vote on November 8. Arab American voices matter.
You can register to vote here.