Today's Kindness #105: June 28, 2022
Vote! 🗳️🗽
Today is June 28! The day of the Colorado Primary Elections!
Elections lead the way in how our city, state, and the country are run for some years. Especially this year, with the world as divided as it is, it is so important to get your vote out there.
A Kindness A Day has interviewed some notable people in Pueblo & Colorado politics this year.
We asked them three simple questions:
- Why is voting important?
- How does voting impact the community (especially Pueblo)?
- How can people under 18 still support candidates and the political system?
Interview #1: Kim Archuletta (Candidate For Pueblo County Treasurer)
Interview #2: Nick Gradisar (Mayor Of Pueblo, CO)
"Voting is important especially at the local level because this is where we can effect change in our daily lives. Politics are important at the national level in Washington D.C., at the state capitol but especially here in Pueblo where the choices we make can be seen in our city through ordinances, ballot initiatives, funding, and through our locally elected officials who support the vibrancy of Pueblo for today and the future.
Even young people can be involved in politics at an early age before being allowed to legally vote. If there is something important to you that needs to be supported or changed, calling your local leaders or being involved in committees and meetings are ways to still use your voice to help. Talk to your parents, your neighbors, teachers, or friends about whether they are registered to vote and ask them to be involved until you can legally vote. These are ways young people can be involved in local elections without voting, but still, support the process of our government."
Interview #3: Phil Weiser (Colorado Attorney General)
1. Why is voting important?
- Voting is important because it provides a way for political leaders to be held accountable for what they do and do not do. If you look at places where voting is not a right, political leaders often abuse their power, the system becomes corrupt, and people's human rights are abused. On the other hand, in places where voting is a right, leaders are held accountable for their actions and rights of citizens are better protected and respected. Colorado has one of the most accessible and secure voting systems in the country. Each registered voter receives a ballot in the mail and can then decide if they want to fill out the ballot at home and mail it in, drop it off at a voting station, or vote in person. Making your voice heard here in Colorado matters!
2. How does voting impact the community?
- You have a very important perspective about how the decisions of political leaders impact your life. Voting is the way to support leaders who you feel are creating a positive impact and push out leaders who you think are not. While the candidate you vote for might not always win, participating in the voting process is an important way to stay engaged in what is happening in your communities and make your voice heard.
3. How can people under 18 still support candidates and the political system?
- Be informed! Read about political issues (both local and national) and figure out what you believe and why. If you are unsure about an issue, engage in respectful dialogue with your peers, trusted adults, and community members. That way when you receive your first ballot in the mail you will be prepared.
- Share your opinion. Even if you cannot vote, your perspective still matters. You can share your opinion with the individuals in your life who can vote, in your school or local newspaper, or everyday conversation with your peers. By engaging in respectful dialogue you can help fine-tune your beliefs and help those around you think more critically and thoughtfully about the issues that matter to you.
- Volunteer. Even if you are not 18 you can volunteer on the campaign of a political candidate you believe in. You could help make phone calls, do door-to-door outreach, write letters, and much more. Your contribution to a campaign can make a big difference in helping elect candidates, even if you cannot cast a vote just yet.
Thank you to the politicians that responded with answers to our questions! We appreciate your response!
Remember, You must turn in your ballots to a drop-off location or vote in person at a polling center by 7 P.M. to have your vote count.
If you are under 18, show your support to candidates and tell eligible voters that their vote matters! You can also visit Vote16USA to learn about the national campaign to lower the minimum voting age to 16.
"There's no such thing as a vote that doesn't matter."
- Barack Obama