We cover national politics a lot in the Opinion section, or at least we have as my time here.
Most of us undergraduates have just gone through the exercise of sitting around a Thanksgiving table with our relatives and one of the infamous topics that creates the most discord in Thanksgiving small talk is national politics.
The whole nation is politics-crazy, including this campus — seemingly everybody I talk to has an opinion on national politics.
However, the rubber meets the road when it’s time to actually go out and vote. It’s especially important for young people to vote given how much politicians have ignored young people’s interests in the past due to our low turnout.
We in South Carolina have a special opportunity to influence the presidential election given our primary’s status as an early, influential contest in the gladiatorial struggle.
It’s near impossible to vote in every election that concerns you — there’s local elections, state elections, special elections, national elections, etc. You may be registered in a different state while attending USC or not registered at all. Voting is not the easiest thing you can do in America, especially for young people, which helps explains our dismal turnout rates despite supposedly being a shining example of democracy.
But here’s my pitch — register to vote in South Carolina and vote in the upcoming presidential primary.
Here’s a chance to turn all the entertainment, news, and political blather about the presidential election you hear into a tangible expression of what you want the country to be.
The deadline for registering is 30 days before the primary, which is on February 20. It’ll sneak up quick after break. You can vote in either contest without being a member of either major party or even in the Republican contest if you are a Democratic. You can’t vote in both.
If you don’t vote until next November, make this election the one you cast your ballot in.