Making Your Voice Heard in the 2020 Election
Get in losers, we’re going to vote!
by PEYTON SURPRENANT ★ OCTOBER 11, 2020
We can all agree that 2020 has been a hard-hitting year. With a presidential election soon approaching in the midst of a global pandemic, these are some historically turbulent times. COVID-19 has shifted how we plan to vote this year, so it can feel like our voices aren’t being heard. Here’s how you can make a change this election, because your vote COUNTS!
VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
Credit: Getty Images
Voting is the most important way to make your voice heard this election. Make sure you are registered to vote; registration deadlines vary by state. If you are living on campus or away from home, make sure to apply for an absentee ballot. Lots of people will be voting with mail-in ballots this year due to COVID-19, but you can still go in person and remain socially distant. If you can, vote early to make matters even easier. A great resource for all your voting needs is vote.org. Here you can find out exactly how voting works in your state.
Take to the Streets
Credit: National Geographic
This past summer, we saw a massive surge of marches and protests in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. Let’s keep that momentum going! People coming together in solidarity for a specific cause can send shock waves across an entire nation, or even just in your local community. If media outlets catch hold of protests, you are bound to be heard. Believe it or not, protesting makes a huge difference and sheds light on the issues that matter most to you.
Get Locally Involved
Change always starts on a small scale. A great way to get more politically involved is to learn about what’s happening in your local area. Whether it’s in your hometown or in Syracuse, be aware of your local representatives, who they are, and what they stand for. Contacting them has LITERALLY never been easier; calling and demanding change is an awesome way to use your voice! If you’re not sure who your local reps are, click here to help. You can also attend town hall meetings or voting leagues so you can constantly be in the loop. Stay up to date…and stay educated!
Join Student Organizations
Credit: Maranie Staab
There are so many different student orgs on campus that can allow for your voice to be heard. While there are many political organizations that encourage student voting, orgs like Students Demand Action Syracuse, NotAgainSU, Students Advocating Sexual Safety and Empowerment, and many more are great ways to advocate for what you believe in. Check out SU’s Student Organization page to find something you’re passionate about, and connect with others who care about the same issues. You can become part of a cause that makes definitive action—on and off campus.
Use Your Platform
Whether you have fifty followers or fifty thousand, social media can be the perfect place to speak your mind. Use your platform to get people thinking about important issues. Encourage people to vote! You never know; if one person sees your Instagram story at just the right time, you could be making a huge difference. Instagram is an easily accessible hotspot, bursting at the seams with incredible activists, influencers, and politicians. Follow them to educate yourself, educate others, and keep a political discourse alive in the media and in your life. Social media has allowed us to interact with prominent people in ways we couldn’t before, and now is the time to take advantage of it!
This election is one of the most important in history. Our voices need to be heard. Make sure that your vote counts this election!