Election Day is just a few days away, and, as always, it will take place on a Tuesday, which means work, school and life will be going on as usual - but should it?
Each candidate has been emphasizing the importance of voting; there have been campaigns to get people to vote and musicians have even put out the slogans to bring people to the polls. On Nov. 2 we'll see if this was successful.
But we can only wonder at how much more successful it would be if more people were given more time to vote. For instance, while some workplaces give their employees time off to ensure that they can get to the polls, other businesses do not, ranking their duty to the company as more important than duty to the nation.
AU will hold classes as usual, but if classes interfere with your ability to get to your polling place, just explain the situation to your professor. They'd be going against AU's standard of creating engaged citizens if they didn't let you go. You are, after all, participating in the greatest experiment in government the world has ever seen.
The harder it is to get to the polls, the fewer people will vote. While the nation (students included) should remain productive on Election Day, everyone should be able to vote with the same relative ease.
Some people have to work long hours to support themselves and their families. Voting should not be any less convenient for them, just because their situation requires them to work longer. All employers should be sure to give their workers time to vote, be it a longer lunch break or whatever necessary. Companies and universities, that allow for this should be commended for promoting our nation's democratic processes.
If you're going to a poll, clear it with your professor, and plan ahead. And even if they don't excuse you, voting is more important than a scratch on an attendance record.
