Early voting started last week in the Student Union, and many students might be feeling a bit disenfranchised or powerless. Refrains like โMy vote doesnโt really count, anywaysโ and โIt doesnโt matter, lobbyists have all the real powerโ are all too familiar to those doing voter engagement work on college campuses. Iโd like to address both of these arguments for anyone who feels powerless in this political system.
First of all, know that your vote absolutely does count. Even with the Electoral College, your votes for down-ballot candidates are critical. And even with theย Electoral College, your vote for president can matterโTexas is polling within the margin of error this year, so regardless of which candidate youโre rooting for, your vote could really matter this year.
So please, voteโbut donโt just vote. The argument that lobbyists have all the real power has some validityโthey have huge sway over policy. Thatโs why, if college students want to see their interests represented in policymaking, they must do more than voteโthey themselves must become lobbyists. A lobbyist doesnโt have to be a banker or an employee of a big corporationโa lobbyist can be the girl who sits next to you in sociology and always shows up late.
Iโm a lobbyist in the Friendโs Committee on National Legislationโs Advocacy Corps, and Iโll be lobbying our elected officials for comprehensive immigration reform all year. You can become a lobbyist tooโit isnโt hard! Interested in lobbying for immigration reform? Keep an eye out for my lobby day events around school. Interested in lobbying for income equality? Contact me about our spring lobby weekend in Washington, D.C. Interested in lobbying for all of this, some of this, or anything else? Set up your own lobby visits! Itโs easy, effective and rewarding. Simply call the local offices of one or both of your senators and arrange a lobby visit! Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) can be reached at (202) 224-5922 and has a McAllen office at 200 S. 10th St., Suite 1603. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) can be reached at (202)224-2934 and has a Harlingen office at 222 E. Van Buren St., Suite 404.
College students have the potential to be enormous political-change makersโletโs use it!
Mimosa Thomas
Biology junior
