If you’re hearing my voice you’re probably a regular NPR listener. While I don’t have data to support this, I’m assuming that most of you vote on a pretty regular basis. So if I implore you to vote on or before November 6th it won’t have much impact. But it’s important to remember that most people don’t listen to NPR regularly and don’t vote regularly. So if you care about our democracy it’s important to be evangelical about voting rights. Spread the word, even if doing so is not easy for you. It’s no longer enough to just vote yourself. Ask people if they voted or will vote and make sure they know how important it is. Offer to help them if they need it.
Ask people what’s important to them and remind them that most of the things they care about go back to government policy at one level or another. If you only care about video games, one party supports net neutrality and the other does not. If you care about health care and reproductive rights, your vote really, really matters. Guns? Government accountability? Likewise. If you care about the economy remember that the party that screams about the evils of the deficit when it’s out of power massively expands it when it’s in power.
Whatever it is you care about matters. And your voice is heard loudest at the ballot box.
Check your voter registration status and polling place on line at ova.elections.il.gov - then vote.
This is no time to be passive.
I’m Reed Scherer and that’s my perspective.
