There’s never been a better time to get involved in politics. We have seen a historic primary process, an unprecedented level of interest in the general election and are in the home stretch of a race that has lasted for almost two years.
This year, the Associated Students of the University of Utah has made community engagement one of its utmost priorities. ASUU has spent countless hours registering thousands of students to vote, educating them on issues and trying to guarantee they cast a ballot. The VoteProject team has recruited hundreds of volunteers and shown an unwavering dedication to the process. We also have many forums coming up where students will be able to voice their opinion and discuss issues, the first of which is Crimson Café on Wednesday, 6 p.m. in the Heritage Center at the Residence Halls.
Registering students is a necessity, but of greater importance is making sure they actually vote. To this end, ASUU has procured an early voting station on campus, allowing all students, faculty and staff, no matter where they live in Salt Lake City, the opportunity to vote at the U two weeks prior to the election, from Oct. 21 to Oct. 31 in the Union.
When all is said and done, millions of people across the country will most likely turn out at rates unseen in recent history.
Elections are important, but after Nov. 4, we will still all be in the same boat. Our duty does not stop with the ballot box. Being a student at a university, especially one as remarkable as the U, is a privilege. With privilege comes responsibility. We each have a responsibility beyond the election to be involved in our communities, pay attention to issues and do what we can to give back.
Robert Putnam, a Harvard professor of public policy, said, “the quality of governance is determined by long-standing traditions of civic engagement.”
With the severity of the issues we are facing, increasing the level of engagement in our community is central to progress.
Editor’s Note8212;Patrick Reimherr is the president of the Associated Students of the University of Utah.
Patrick Reimherr