In November 2006, I had the opportunity to be a part of
something truly amazing on campus: a victory for a progressive America.
Democrats carried campus with more than 70 percent of the vote, 85 percent of
students voted against the gay marriage ban and across the country voters cast
their ballots for change.
I grew up in Madison and embody almost all of the
stereotypes you think of when it comes to being a bleeding-heart liberal. In
history class we talked about ?Fighting Bob? La Follette and the Progressive
Movement, so I was naturally ecstatic when, for the first time in my life, the
Democrats came out of an election with a huge win.
The night before Election Day, I got a phone call from Max,
a good friend I?ve known almost all my life who was off at school in St. Louis
at the time. We quickly started talking about the election, and I asked him if
he had voted in Missouri. He told me he hadn?t because he wasn?t considered a
resident and he had requested an absentee ballot from Wisconsin, but it never
came. I was really upset. Here was a young guy trying to take part in the
democratic process being denied by not one but two state governments.
But Max didn?t share my dismay; instead, he told me I had
better be awake in six hours because that?s when he would be rolling into town.
He and two friends, hyped up on coffee and Red Bull, were driving through the
night to get him to the polls.
When we met for breakfast, he told me they couldn?t stay
long because they had to get back for afternoon classes. I was in a complete
state of disbelief. My friend had driven a total of 12 hours just to cast his
vote.
Even if the election that day didn?t end up being close, Max
still stood up for what he believed in. He knew that someday he could look back
and tell his kids that when it mattered, he took a stand against bigotry and
supported progressive values. What will we be able to tell our children and
grandchildren?
Times are changing. Politicians are speaking to our issues.
From health care reform to ending the war in Iraq, our votes are being counted,
and our voices are being heard.
On Feb. 19 (mark your calendars!), students at the
University of Wisconsin and our fellow citizens from around the state will go
to the polls to vote in Wisconsin?s presidential primary. Before Election Day,
I would encourage each of you to get involved with one of the Democratic
student campaigns. Currently, groups for Sens. Clinton, Edwards and Obama are
all actively meeting and organizing on our campus.
We?ve all heard the argument: ?I don?t have time to vote.?
There are a lot of things that we could do to make voting easier, and we often
have quite a lot of studying and work to take care of on Tuesdays. But every
once in a while our conscience demands that we stand up, get informed, and be
counted. From the College Democrats? website (wisc.wiscollegedems.org) to The
Washington Post and The New York Times, there are a lot of places to quickly
find the answers you?re looking for.
I also want to stress how simple and easy it is to vote in
Wisconsin. You don?t have to be from the state or have a Wisconsin driver?s
license; you simply have to have lived at your current address for 10 days
before Election Day. If you live in the dorms, it?s even easier. Just bring
your Student ID to your polling location, and the university and the city clerk
will take care of the rest.
If you live off campus, you need to have some proof of residence.
The easiest thing to bring is a utility bill or piece of official mail (like
something from the university) addressed to you at your Madison address. If you
don?t have anything, you can go to the polls with a registered voter who can
vouch for your residence. It?s very simple and completely worth the short
amount of time it takes.
We have no greater responsibility than to take part in our
democratic process, I hope you?ll join us in the upcoming weeks.
the College Democrats.
