Tuesday is Election Day. What? You’re surprised? We’re not. For years, young people just like you have forgotten, made excuses or plain ignored their duty to cast a ballot in any election. As a result, 20-somethings always have been labeled “apathetic.” But what does that really mean?
Well, frankly, it means that our elected officials don’t care about this generation. They’d much rather court the vote of the senior citizens - and rightfully so - who line up in droves to cast their ballots for candidates promising to focus on their issues.
Imagine the power the younger generation would have if its members simply took a few minutes to vote. Many quickly disregard their right to vote, but its power is unparalleled. A single vote can make all the difference in the world - or just all the difference in your individual community.
Come Tuesday, Michigan will elect a new governor. Gov. John Engler, who is term-limited, has had a stranglehold over that office and state policy for the past 12 years.
In addition, more than half the Legislature will turn over thanks to term limits. Control of the legislative branch certainly is at stake. The ballot also asks you to choose two members of the MSU Board of Trustees, which hires the university president and sets tuition rates.
The people elected to these offices hold all kinds of power over young people - and certainly over MSU students. If you can’t get excited over public policy, you should at least be concerned about the power these folks have over your pocketbook. There actions will affect tax rates, state and university programs, city services and tuition rates.
Students should also be interested in the various proposals on the ballot. All four affect students directly, but Proposal 4 has the potential to wreak havoc for years to come. The initiative would redirect tobacco settlement money from the Michigan Merit Award program and the Life Sciences Corridor to various health-related groups in the state.
And if young people have questions about voting, there are places they can go for help. YouVote, an effort led by MSU students with the support of the university and East Lansing, has been trying to get the word out through voter registration drives, e-mails, educational programs and its Web site, youvote.msu.edu.
Also this year the Secretary of State’s office launched the Voter Information Center, an online resource for voters. The Web site, www.sospublius.org, has information about voter registration status, polling locations and candidates.
This edition of The State News even has a section devoted to Tuesday’s election.
But alas, despite these efforts, if history has anything to say about it students won’t show up to the polls and another chance to get politicians focused on student issues will fall by the wayside.
You don’t think so? Well, prove us wrong then. Prove to us that you know students have the power to shift leadership, reject laws that hurt them and initiate change.
Every vote counts. You can make a difference.
