We all know what’s at stake in this election. We have seen the bombarding TV ads, the exchanges and sound bites on social media, the podcasts, and the mountain of opinion pieces about how important this election is to the fate and future of the United States of America.
As it is with every election, the most essential part of this election is your participation. If you are a New York resident 18 years or older, you should be registered to vote and exercise your right to vote.
And if you are 18 years of age and not registered to vote, there’s still time to sign up and make yourself heard this November.
Early voting began this weekend and continues through Nov. 3. If you want to wait till Election Day, Nov. 5, to vote, you still can. Polling sites are located across Nassau County will be open that day. Go to your designated poll site and cast your ballot then if you wish.
Whenever you vote in this cycle, doing so is the most important thing you can do for your state and country this year.
Voting costs nothing but your time, just a few minutes to make an informed decision and impact the your government and your way of life. New York has done so much to allow you to vote at your convenience; Saturday marked the start of early voting, so you can cast your ballot on your schedule at your designated early voting site.
Do not listen to the cynics who say that one vote in a state of 19 million people does not count for anything. Do not listen to the liars who conclude the elections are rigged for one side or the other or that only the most powerful interests have the final say in how government is run.
This is America. Every vote has the same power, and collectively, your votes are the loudest voice heard in the halls of the Capitol and in the White House, in the state Legislature and in the Governor’s Mansion.
The people have the power in this country, and the only way that power is diminished is when people do not vote. When the people don’t vote, the cynics and liars win — and the government consequently turns against the people’s best interests, not for them.
Register to vote. Cast your ballots during the early voting period, by absentee, or in person on Nov. 5. Don’t sit this one out.
