Noah Wilbur | Opinions Editor
10/29/2020
With six days remaining until the 46th president of the U.S. is selected, millions of Americans around the nation have already cast their vote by returning mail-in ballots or visiting the nearest polling center. At this time, Joe Biden holds a comfortable lead over incumbent Donald Trump; however, this gap is quickly narrowing as a growing number of Trump supporters are heading to polling stations and voting in-person.
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Elections Report, the early vote total as of Wednesday morning exceeded 73 million – an increase of nearly 26 million from the 2016 election.
The country’s sizable turnout of early voters stems primarily from the three most populous states in the country as residents in Texas, Florida and California are coming out in droves to vote before Nov. 3.
In addition, the young vote is proving to be a decisive factor, with 63% of citizens between the ages of 18- 24 indicating that they will vote in 2020. To compare, only 43% voted in the 2016 election – a favorable difference worth noting.
These staggering, and even surprising, numbers are an excellent indicator that Americans recognize the difficulties our country faces going forward and are interested in doing their part to make a difference for future generations.
Admittedly, with a deluge of “Vote Early” political propaganda appearing across social media followed by further encouragement from the Democratic and Republican parties, the record-shattering surge of early voters does not come as a surprise.
Nevertheless, as one of the most impactful and consequential elections in the history of the U.S., it is rather encouraging to see that Americans – both young and old – participate by getting involved in their respective candidates’ campaigns and, most importantly, by casting a vote.
From rising tensions with China and a crippling healthcare system, to the need for additional stimulus and a COVID-19 situation continuing to spiral out-of-control, the list continues to grow of challenges that our great nation must confront in the foreseeable future.
People are proving to be not only aware of this uncertainty, but also adamant on choosing a candidate with corresponding values and principles that they believe possesses the expertise, competence and leadership needed to guide the U.S. during turbulent times.
With the future of America hanging in the balance, I urge those individuals – still teetering on the brink of not voting due to the questionable candidates standing before us – to realize their civic duty as an American citizen and vote in the 2020 election.
Although the unfortunate reality is that we are left with three candidates, none of which are worthy of the honor of being the President of the U.S., it would be imprudent and foolish for us to standby and withhold our vote when now, more than ever, our democracy is at stake.
Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or a die-hard Kanye fan, it is more important than ever to express your support for the candidate you perceive to be the most fit to lead the country.
