“Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote” (William E. Simon). Are you 18 years of age or older? Do you wish you could translate those unique thoughts of yours into action? Your opinions are crucial, alone, and kept to yourself they have no impact. They will have impact if you exercise your opinions through voting. What better time do so with the 2012 elections coming our way in just a few short weeks.
Education is where it all begins for an individual to competently interact with his surroundings and have an understanding and appreciation for global perspectives. Here at HWS we benefit from a great education. Yes at times it may seem hard and tedious but like with many experiences, when examined in retrospect the experience tends to be one you will have grown quite fond of and have grown from in every are of your life. The test presented to you today is to educate yourselves on the issues, the issues you feel passionate about, the issues where you would love to add a piece of your mind to. Indeed, “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education” (Franklin Roosevelt).
“A Gallup poll found that only 58 percent of 18-to-29 year olds say they intend to vote this year, by far the lowest "plan to vote" percentage of any age demographic” (NPR). Further, “only six in 10 of these voters say they are registered to vote” (Gallup). What can be done to change this? Here at Hobart and William Smith Colleges located in Geneva, New York, we have taken steps to channel the excitement and civic energy, especially among youth. One of the steps here on campus is called HWS Votes. “HWS Votes is a non-partisan group of student leaders devoted to voter registration and the continuous education of the Hobart and William Smith and Geneva communities. The campaign is conducted in three phases: voter registration, education and Election Day. Volunteers provide polling information, conduct absentee ballot drives and organize an intensive follow-up survey” (HWS).
This year we are implementing a new partnership with TurboVote. TurboVote is known as the “Netflix of voting” providing hassle-free voter registration and/or ballot request forms. The forms get emailed as an attachment to the individual immediately after registering. The forms also get mailed to the individual. The forms come with a postage-paid and pre-addressed envelope, so it just needs to be signed and dropped in the mailbox to receive your ballot. Just like that, individuals can exercise their rights. On campus, HWS has an agreement with TurboVote so anyone can register to vote and/or request ballots to vote on hws.turbovote.org.
HWS Votes is an inclusive initiative welcoming any and all support given from whomever. To join contact (kflowers@hws.edu) and Jeremy Wattles (wattles@hws.edu). Students to contact are David Luna (david.luna@hws.edu) and Olivia Lowenberg (olivia.lowenberg@hws.edu).
Winston Churchill once said, “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” Lets prove him wrong, let’s gather our collective civic energy and vote, lets show Churchill that a five-minute conversation with the average voter can be the most enlightening conversation one could have. All this and more can be done through the ease of Netflix and a few clicks of the mouse when you sign up for free at hws.turbovote.org. Remember, even if you are already a registered voter you can use this site and request your ballot. For those not registered, you can have your registration form and ballot request sent to you.