The Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary are long over. The national party conventions are a distant memory. The three presidential debates have come and gone. All that is left on the long road to the presidency is the event that matters most: Election Day. And by all accounts, when the polls open tomorrow morning, voters will likely be casting their ballots in the closest presidential election since at least 1976, if not 1960, when John F. Kennedy prevailed over Richard Nixon in the popular tally by just more than 100,000 votes.
Regardless of whom you support or your party affiliation, we strongly encourage every Cornellian to head to the polls tomorrow and cast a ballot in the first general election of the 21st Century. As pundits ponder the impact that higher or lower than expected turnout across the country might have on tomorrow’s elections, voters at Cornell have little excuse not to find a small amount of time tomorrow between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. to make their choices in this year’s key races.
Not only will many Cornellians have their first opportunity to participate in a presidential election, an experience that every American should energetically embrace, voters in New York will cast a ballot in the most high-profile Senate election in the country. That race has become a part of American history, as, for the first time, a First Lady of the United States will stand for election to public office tomorrow. Down the ballot, residents will also have the opportunity to vote in County Judge, State Assembly, State Senate and Congressional elections. In addition, Cornellians could play a crucial role in determining whether the City of Ithaca ought to fluoridate the municipal water supply, as every vote can make a difference in a close local election.
Many students of course have already done their part in this election by casting an absentee ballot for their home precincts. But for those of you who are registered to vote here, we urge you to take ten minutes out of your day tomorrow to voice your opinion on the country’s direction and its political leaders. It is one of the very few civic responsibilities in a democracy. And it very well could be the most important thing you do in the next four years.
Archived article by Sun Staff