This November marks a crucial moment in American politics. In the upcoming election, voters have the power to influence policy and legislation affecting a range of critical issues, including abortion access, climate change, healthcare costs, and international conflicts. Through voting, campaigning, and phone banking, every American — regardless of age — has the power to impact the outcome of this election.
Since 1992, California has reliably voted for the Democratic presidential nominee. However, this year’s election will likely be decided by the results from a few swing states; Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin will be critical in determining the president, according to the New York Times. Even if someone lives in California, far from the swing states, they still have the power to encourage voting and support their chosen candidate in a swing state.
In the 2020 Presidential Election, more than one in three eligible voters, or 34 percent, did not vote, according to the Pew Research Center. In previous years, voter turnout was even worse: the 2020 Presidential election had the highest voter turnout since 1900. Americans do not vote for a variety of reasons. In 2020, 53 percent of non-voters said they did not vote because they felt voting has little to no impact on their lives, according to NPR. In the 2016 Presidential Election, as many as 15 percent of registered voters didn’t vote because they believed their vote would not make a difference, according to data from the Census Bureau. Phone banking is a great way to let potential voters know their vote matters. Additionally, many Americans face barriers to voting, including voter ID laws and a lack of transportation to polls. To help make voting more accessible, we can advocate for voting rights legislation and help Americans get registered to vote. Why? The collective votes of a community, the campaigning in swing states, and even a handful of votes can decide an election.
In 2016, a single vote decided the Vermont State Senate Democratic primary. In 2018, just 17 votes decided the Democratic primary for Baltimore County Executive. While a single vote is unlikely to decide the outcome of the November election, the collective power of undecided voters and first-time voters may very well be important in deciding our next President.
A simple first step in engaging oneself with the upcoming election could be to ensure family and friends are registered to vote and have a plan to do so on Tuesday Nov. 5, 2024. Simple actions like calling your aunt or cousin who lives in Pennsylvania or North Carolina and ensuring they know where their nearest polling station is can go a long way.
At turnoutpac.org/postcards, individuals can sign up to get free postcards and a voter list sent in the mail, which can then be used to handwrite letters to potential voters in crucial swing states. The website's front page also directs to local canvassing events such as door knocking or phone banking.
The outcome of this election decides the path of our American democracy for the next four years. Project 2025, a collection of far right policy proposals designed for a future republican administration including a proposal to withdraw abortion pills from the market and abolish the Department of Education, outline in detail, the threat of a hypothetical Trump presidency. Trump has claimed to know nothing about the proposal. According to CNN, at least 140 people who have worked in Trump's administration collaborated on Project 2025.
As Kamala Harris said in her Democratic National Convention speech, “In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man. But the consequences — but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.”
The fundamental rights of countless groups of people will be put at risk by another Trump presidency, and everybody must put in a collective effort to keep us from moving backward. Nobody wants to wake up on Wednesday Nov. 6, 2024 wishing they had done more.