Henry Abbott

On Tuesday, the polls will be open for people around the nation to cast their ballots. Eligible voters across state lines and from various backgrounds will face a choice between two candidates who have come to the forefront of important discussions across the country.

November 5 will see Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee and current vice president, run against Donald Trump, the Republican nominee and former president. This election is critical in determining the course of national politics for years to come, as well as our lives for the immediate and lasting future. While all elections are important, this one is of paramount significance, and now, more than ever, we must use our electoral agency to protect democracy and fight for our lives and those of the coming generations.

For many of us, this is the first time we are eligible to vote in a presidential election. We must mobilize and make our way to the polls this November to cast our votes in favor of Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, the Democratic candidates who will fight to maintain the honor of our nation and the rights of all people.

The current political atmosphere has turned topics such as reproductive rights, the climate crisis and even the peaceful passage of power into partisan issues. On each of these topics and more, it is clear that only a vote for Kamala Harris can protect the people from the bigotry and hatred that would emerge from a second Trump presidency.

If the American people elect Trump for a second term, they are committing the political system to four years of instability, economic downturn, flagrant ignorance and international unrest. The next four years in politics may see the replacement of multiple Supreme Court justices, and on the state and judicial level, series of vital gubernatorial elections, the proposal of hundreds of key ballot initiatives and the outcome of Trump’s own civil and criminal court cases. Each of these issues will have lasting reverberations that extend far past the limits of a four-year term.

If you need more reasons to vote blue this election, here are a few important goals that the Harris and Walz campaign has outlined in its potential policy agenda: strengthening and lowering the cost of healthcare, investing in affordable childcare, protecting social security and Medicare, making rent and housing more affordable, protecting civil rights, keeping our communities safe from gun violence, supporting active and retired military personnel and their families and lowering energy costs while addressing the climate crisis.

If any of these issues are important to you, it is imperative that you take action and vote!

We, the Bowdoin College Democrats, urge you to keep in mind the stakes of this election as you make your way to the polls on Tuesday. Think of the women, children, families, cultures and identities that are dependent on how you use your voice this election. Vote for yourself, your friends, your family and your future by casting a ballot in favor of Kamala Harris, Tim Walz and Democratic candidates down-ballot. We can only directly impact the results of this election by participating in the electoral process.

So, grab your friends, head to the polls and vote blue!

Brittany Yue is a member of the Bowdoin College Democrats.