Get Out and Vote!

We are now just 14 days away from arguably the most important election in American history. Since Donald Trump’s inauguration in January of last year, we’ve seen a presidential administration that shamelessly tries to roll-back the progress we’ve made on LBGT+ issues, women’s rights, criminal justice reform, and environmental responsibility on a daily basis. We’ve also seen a Republican-controlled Congress neglect their Constitutional duty to act as a check on the president of the United States. Under the leadership of Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republicans in Congress have failed to protect our nation from the reckless policies of the Trump administration. But luckily for us, change is coming.

Recently on social media, you’ve probably seen voter registration deadlines being advertised by players in every corner of the political sphere. Fifteen states plus the District of Columbia make same-day registration available on Election Day. In most other states, however, voters must register by a given deadline prior to Election Day. Find more information about each state’s voting timeline here.

As we saw in 2016, turnout is everything. The good news is that, according to USA Today, voters are “significantly more interested in the Nov. 6 elections than the last midterm elections.” This is paired with record-breaking voter registration numbers, especially among young people. More than 800,000 people registered to vote ahead of the midterm elections on National Voter Registration Day on Sept. 25.

The odds are in our favor. But record-breaking voter registration numbers won’t mean anything if Americans make the decision not to vote. In order to take back the House, Democrats need to turn out in waves across the country.

Last August, Axios reported about a private spreadsheet that was being circulated through Republican circles on and off Capitol Hill. The document “catalogs more than 100 formal requests from House Democrats this Congress, spanning nearly every committee” and contains a list of investigations the GOP predicts Democrats will launch should they retake the House. As a motivating factor, here are some of the items on the GOP’s spreadsheet:

• President Trump’s tax returns

• Trump family businesses

• Trump’s dealings with Russia

• James Comey’s firing

• The travel ban

• Family separation policy

• Hurricane response in Puerto Rico

• Election security and hacking attempts

• White House security clearances

Republicans have abdicated their oversight responsibilities and acted as a rubber stamp for this president. It’s now time for Democrats to take control of the House and investigate the allegations of incompetence and corruption within the Trump administration. Congress has a constitutional duty to check the president. Republicans have shown us in the past year and seven months that they don’t plan on fulfilling that duty. Now, it’s our turn to run things. So, America, my one plea to you is this: Get out and VOTE!

By: Thomas Best