Even in a so-called democracy, there are few
chances to actually participate in that democracy. One of them should
not be eroded - the chance to vote in an election. Today is such a day,
and we encourage all who are registered to vote today. However, voting
is not that easy.
If
you are unaware of the candidates and their positions, then what
exactly are you voting for? It is easier than ever to learn where
candidates stand on the issues, their backgrounds and what they are
doing during their campaign. Students involved with the Eagleton
Institute of Politics and with the New Jersey Public Interest Research
Group have spent countless hours educating the public on the candidates
and how to vote.
Yes, how does one cast a vote? For some, it is
not that simple. As students, with many living in residence halls, the
voting booth is not a simple walk to the student center, as Cook,
Douglass and College Avenue residents must trek to off-campus polling
locations. Just because you have a class on Livingston campus today
doesn't mean you can vote in its student center. You have to be armed
with other knowledge, such as simply knowing where and when you are
registered to vote.
However, you should also know your rights.
Many governing bodies are trying to make it easier for people to vote,
and one of those ways is the Help America Vote Act of 2002. In New
Jersey, it means anyone can go to the polls and ask to cast a vote on a
provisional ballot. These ballots are paper ones, that are then
verified for accuracy as to whether the voter is registered at that
location. Previously, a provisional ballot could only be cast under
certain circumstances. Now, voters can cast a provisional ballot for
any reason, and this is a step in the right direction to making it
easier for people to participate in elections.
The polls close
at 8 p.m. tonight, and there are lots of weighty issues at the federal,
state and local levels all at your fingertips - whether pulling a lever
or picking up a pen. Don't forget to vote.
