Vote!
Visit vote.org or iwillvote.com for all the information you need to cast your ballot
Over the past few weeks, Personal Politics teamed up with Hillel@Stanford’s Civic Engagement Fellowship to help people share why they’re voting.
On October 24th, we held a pop-up event at Stanford’s White Plaza and made a short montage of some of the responses we got:
We also worked with students to develop slightly longer testimonials about why they’re voting:
Cameron Lange, a junior, is voting for the 70,000 people who are unhoused in her hometown of Los Angeles:
“I’m excited to cast my Los Angeles ballot by mail so I can contribute to victories for politicians who support the construction of affordable housing, strong tenant protection against eviction, and policies that provide broader economic relief.”
Zoe Edelman, a sophomore, is voting in her first midterm election after years of volunteering in politics:
“Back then, I couldn’t vote. Volunteering was my path to engaging in politics — a right that’s historically been denied to so many people. This year, I can vote. And it’s another way to express my support for candidates who celebrate diversity and promote progressive legislation, especially when so many politicians seem determined to regress politically.”
Juliana Lamm-Perez, a sophomore, grew up in San Francisco and is voting because local elections have a big impact on our day to day lives:
“For liberal Californians like me, voting can sometimes feel useless. We pretty much know that the Democratic candidate will win, right? But our vote is still incredibly important. We don’t just need to elect Democrats—we need to elect the right Democrats. Politics is not the binary we often think it is.”
Rachel Lit, a sophomore, is voting for her younger brother, Joey, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three:
“Joey has taught me the importance of patience and instilled in me the values of diversity and inclusion, shaping me into an advocate for children with special needs… I’m voting because Joey, and all people with disabilities, deserve leaders who will protect and empower them. Your vote will shape who those leaders are.”
Charlie Hoffs, a master’s student, is voting because she’s seen how interconnected we all are:
“One of the most rewarding and educational experiences of my life has been living in different shared spaces like student coops, group backpacking trips, or sailing crews that show us how much we depend on one another, and how much we all have to contribute. Similarly, voting ties me in to community of millions of civically-engaged fellow Americans.”
Chloé Romero, a sophomore, is voting in part because American foreign policy influences the rest of the world:
“Foreign policy decisions here can change things for the better or worse overseas. I have a lot of family in Uruguay — a very small country — and the US’s economic policy can heavily influence the value of Uruguayan produce, much of which is exported, and thus the prosperity of the economy.”
You can watch all of these testimonials via the Personal Politics Instagram.
If you’re able and haven’t done so already, make sure to vote! You can find all the information you need by visiting vote.org or iwillvote.com.