Importance of Voting

I wish to raise awareness to the student population about the upcoming special election for the open 95th Assembly District seat, which will take place on November 8.  I realize that the La Crosse area  has been through its fair share of elections recently, but this one holds no less importance.  No matter your ideology, it cannot be denied that this past year has taken its toll on every Wisconsin citizen.  Now that another election has arisen, we cannot squander this opportunity to move toward a resolution of past wrongs, especially when the outcome will have a direct impact on present and future UW-L students.

While I will not directly endorse any particular candidate, what I do desire is a realigned prioritization among UW-L students in terms of political participation.  If we look at the numbers—taken from the La Crosse County website—from past general elections for this seat, Ward 5 (UW-L campus and outer perimeter) has seen decreasing rates of political participation.  In 2008, 61.91 percent of registered voters cast ballots, while 2010 saw a turnout of only 39.3 percent of registered voters.  The 95th District Democratic primary on Oct. 11 saw a 2.3 percent turnout for Ward 5.  This number is down from previous 95th District primary elections, less than 1 percent in 2008 and 2.8 percent in 2010.  What's more, due to this election falling during an off year, political participation rates can be expected to be much lower than usual.  

The late Robert F. Kennedy once declared, "The essence of the American Revolution—the principle on which this country was founded—is that direct participation in political activity is what makes a free society."  There is no excuse for choosing to ignore that our daily choices ultimately have a great impact on the larger picture.  There is no excuse for always pointing fingers and blaming the so-called villains in public office without facing up to our own responsibility to demand that they do the right thing and represent the people.  

I plead to all students to not sit idly by and let others make decisions on your behalf.  The student vote is more important than ever.  As the voting rights in this state are under assault, we must not distant ourselves from the political sphere at a time when our input is so greatly needed.  Stand up and let your voice be heard by voting on Nov. 8.