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Far too many University of Louisville students won’t be participating in today’s election; not because they don’t want to, but because they have a more pressing issue to deal with: class.
Many students are eligible to vote via absentee balloting, but won’t, either because they don’t know how to or because they don’t realize that you have to apply for such a ballot a week in advance.
For other students, those registered in Jefferson County, voting may also be inconvenient. Students who live on campus but are registered at their permanent residence may have to travel a half-hour to get to their polling place. This one-hour round trip is not only inconvenient, but also impossible for some students who have class all day.
The ability to vote is the most fundamental of our civic duties, and one that should not be taken lightly.
Abraham Lincoln famously declared that we are a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” The people’s primary means of expression is at the ballot box and U of L should not prevent their students’ voices from being heard by making us attend class.
People all around the world have died fighting for the ability to vote in local elections. In 2005, despite threats from insurgents against anyone who voted, newly-liberated Iraq had a 58 percent voter turnout; 21 people died in the act. These people had freedom for the first time, and weren’t going to allow death threats to deter them from voting.
It’s clear that Americans are taking voting for granted. They’ll complain about their elected officials, but when the time comes to do something about it, they sit idly by.
While most U of L students won’t vote in today’s elections either way, if we were all given the day off, certainly many more would take the opportunity to drive to their polling place and make their opinions count.
