Posted on April 5, 2021
Adrianne Toles-Williams, Managing Editor
Time and time again the political conversation is avoided for many
reasons that may include wanting to avoid disputes and arguments with
peers, for lack of the necessary information to form a sound opinion, or
even from the belief that just one opinion and one vote won’t make a
difference.
Whatever the reason may be, there is no better time than the present
to take command of the future we envision. The torch is being passed to
younger, growing generations to become the stewards and protectors of
the American Dream.
In presidential elections the winner is decided based on the
electoral college, the electors awarded to each state equal to its
number of congressional delegates. In Florida there are 29 votes that go
towards the electoral college for our 27 House Representatives and 2
Senate seats.
Even though the election is not determined by popular vote, National Geographic
says, “if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or
county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral
results.”
In local and midterm elections, there is typically a much lower
turnout of voters than in major presidential elections. Every two years,
voters can vote on one-third of the senators and on every member of the
house of representatives to determine who represents their interests on
a federal level.
Local elections directly impact the day-to-day lives of community
members, how tax-funds are allocated, schools, road up-keep, public
services and more.
Our vote is how we decide who best represents our interests and what we want to see in our communities.
It is the American people’s civic duty not only to make these
well-informed decisions, but also to actively follow the actions and
policies enacted by these officials so that they may be held accountable
for delivering on their promises.
There are various ways to get informed and stay informed, through broadcast media like MSNBC, CNN, and others; or print media like The Washington Post, New York Times, or other local newspapers. In the ever-evolving technology-based society
we live in, social media has become a popular way to obtain information
as well.
For balanced and unbiased news assessments, many have recommended AllSides
for their aim to share news stories from the various biased news
networks to combat the negative effects of media bias and
misinformation.
The Student Government Association is launching a project to empower
voters to assess their own political awareness and encourage them to
seek out the most accurate political information to form well-informed
opinions.
The political conversation should be a constructive exchange of views
and ideas, not something to shy away from that will only spur conflict.
Having well-researched opinions on issues not only enables us to
discuss what is happening in the world around us now but empowers us to
take charge of the world we will live in.