The enormous nationwide primary election known as “Super Tuesday” is upon us. In what is one of the most important and historic presidential elections in the United States, one question remains – what part will you play in it?
America has a terrible misconception of college students. The media says that we don’t care, that we don’t turn out to vote, that we are a generation of spoiled and apathetic consumers.
The East Tennessean challenges you to go out on Tuesday morning and prove them wrong.
If you haven’t already registered to vote, then you will be missing out on the Super Tuesday madness. Unfortunately, Tennessee doesn’t allow you to register to vote on election day (like Maine, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Idaho, New Hamsphire and Minnesota) but you can register now, so that you aren’t stuck without a voice when November rolls around.
You can find the form to register at http://www.tennessee.gov/sos/election/ss-3010.pdf. You can also visit the United States Election Assistance Commission Web site at www.eac.gov for more information.
If you are voting for the first time, you need to provide proper identification. Go to http://www.tennessee.gov/sos/election/IDRequirementChart.pdf for more information on what to bring with you when you go vote.
Many people don’t vote because they don’t know where they will be voting. A map of Tennessee’s voting precincts is located at http://www.comptrollerstate.tn.us/lg/lgmaps.htm. A little bit of clicking can show you where to vote, depending on where you live in Washington County.
I have friends tell me that they don’t feel qualified to vote just yet, because they haven’t had time to sit down and read about the candidates, or because they don’t feel like they know enough about politics to make an informed decision.
However, the truth and beauty of voting is that you don’t need to be qualified to vote (beyond being over the age of 18 and a U.S. Citizen).
The only thing required of you is that you have an opinion. In this day and age, there is nothing more essential than for the youth of America to exercise their right to be heard.
I believe, I hope, that after November is over future generations will remember this not only as the first election in the history of the United States to feature a refreshingly diverse range of candidates, but also as an election where young voters swarmed the polls.
I want this to be the election where the generation that will inherit this country – and all of its problems – was heard.
And if you want to know more about candidates – well, read the East Tennessean for future information. This year we will be providing more political coverage than ever before, with opinion pieces as well as bi-partisan coverage. The ET wants to fairly present the issues of this election to you, so that you can make an informed decision. The ET also wants to let you hear the voices of others, and we want you to engage in dialogue.
Write to us, tell us what you think, by e-mailing your letter to the editor to eteditor@mail.etsu.
Finally, don’t let the complication of this presidential race discourage you.
Political pundits have been proven wrong time after time, because they seem to be so far out of touch with what the most important people – the voters – have to say. Pundits and news anchors have estimated that the race would sweep cleanly one way or the other, but it has done just the opposite.
In this election, every turn is a surprise. Right now, I think we deserve a pleasant surprise.
America is more than ready for this election. I hope that you will be a part of it.
– East Tennessean Executive Editor Eileen Rush

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