October 5, 2020
Your vote matters. Literally. Register today
Submitted by Timothy J. Shaffer
Today is Oct. 5. The last day to register to vote in the November general election in Kansas is Oct. 13. Including today, you have nine days. If you're eligible to vote in Kansas, you can check your registration easily. You can also register at that same link.
If you want to vote in another state, check your registration and make sure that you don't miss the important deadline. This is not like the opportunity to submit your paper late to a forgiving professor. You need to meet these deadlines. Voter registration varies from state to state, so it's essential that you do it now. Why does this matter? Because every person casting a vote matters.
In races across the United States in the last election, some were decided by a single vote. One person's decision, or the lack of participation, which is the decision not to vote, determined the outcome of multiple state and federal races. In Illinois, for example, a race with more than 50,000 votes was decided by the votes of 12 people. It might be easy to say, "I'm just one person," but the reality is that in numerous races, each individual vote matters.
You may be feeling overwhelmed about the candidates running for office and their platforms and policies. Don't let these hold you back from registering. Before you can vote, you must be registered. There will be time — soon — that you can learn all about the candidates and issues on the ballot. Don't let the sense of uncertainty hold you back from being able to participate in this essential element of our democracy.
If you're a student, encourage your friends and classmates to register to vote. Get involved with Wildcat Votes and follow them for updates about the election. If you are a faculty or staff member, there are resources to share with your students in the classroom and beyond that can clarify questions or concerns. Encourage everyone who is eligible to vote to register.
If you're a student, faculty, staff, or anyone else — you can stay up-to-date on K-State's voter registration work and get out the vote efforts by following the Institute for Civic Discourse and Democracy on Twitter and Facebook, the home for K-State's All IN Campus Democracy Challenge team. ICDD's How to Vote in Three Steps guide provides all the details that you need to vote in this year's general election.
This election is shaping up to be critically important as our elected officials have to address several shared challenges we face in our communities, state, and country. Be involved. Don't be on the sidelines. History has its eyes on you. #CatsVotePurple