Early voting started last week in the Student Union, and many students might be feeling a bit disenfranchised or powerless. Refrains like “My vote doesn’t really count, anyways” and “It doesn’t matter, lobbyists have all the real power” are all too familiar to those doing voter engagement work on college campuses. I’d 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 the Electoral College, your vote for president can matter–Texas is polling within the margin of error this year, so regardless of which candidate you’re rooting for, your vote could really matter this year.
So please, vote–but don’t just vote. The argument that lobbyists have all the real power has some validity–they have huge sway over policy. That’s why, if college students want to see their interests represented in policymaking, they must do more than vote–they themselves must become lobbyists. A lobbyist doesn’t have to be a banker or an employee of a big corporation–a lobbyist can be the girl who sits next to you in sociology and always shows up late.
I’m a lobbyist in the Friend’s Committee on National Legislation’s Advocacy Corps, and I’ll be lobbying our elected officials for comprehensive immigration reform all year. You can become a lobbyist too–it isn’t 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! It’s 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 makers–let’s use it!
Mimosa Thomas
Biology junior
