Citizenship Archives - MarvinByrd.com

Tomorrow, the country will decide on the 45th President of the United States. That is a big deal. Some of you will be eligible for the very first time to vote tomorrow. I suggest that you take it seriously and go vote. The right to vote and have a say in our government is something that is not appreciated the way it used to be when this country first started. Many, including myself at one time, feel that their vote doesn’t count. Well, there are a lot of people who suffered and died simply because they wanted the right to vote. They didn’t conclude that their vote doesn’t count. They fought for that right. In 2012, 62% of eligible voters exercised their right to vote in the last Presidential Election. That other 38% represents millions of people. Also, it is important that you consider that times are changing and that laws that are passed do affect you. You are able to live the life you live in a free society for a reason. People who came before you made decision about the direction of the country so everyone could safely pursue their happiness.

So please, if you are eligible to vote, educate yourself and go vote for the candidate you feel most represents YOU. If you aren’t 18, participate in mock elections at your school. One day, you will be the caretakers of this country and we need you to be engaged so that things are better for the next generation. We need more positive students like yourself to set an example by placing an importance on participating.

***********I am very curious to hear about your experience voting for the first time*************

MB (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done

Because the election is only weeks away, I thought I’d post something about our government. During a very hot summer in 1787, the Alexander Hamilton and the other 54 members of the Constitutional Convention spent hours every day holed up in a locked room. Of course it is always difficult to reach an agreement whenever you have this many people and so they had to compromise. One of their compromises was how to elect the president. Some favored a popular vote. Others wanted the Congress to elect the president. What they decided to do was form the Electoral College and allow it to vote for the president and vice president.

The Electoral College is a group of people who represent each state. Each state has a certain number of Electoral College votes. That number comes from the number of senators and representatives a state has. For example, in the great state of Missouri we have 2 senators as does every state. Based on our population, we have 8 representatives. Therefore, Missouri has 10 Electoral College votes. If a candidate wins the majority vote in Missouri, they will receive 10 votes towards the Electoral College. The reason for this is so that the lesser populated states don’t get outvoted by states with a larger population. As a result of the Electoral College, candidates for President will campaign in most if not all of the states in the union. In order to win the presidency, a candidate must win 270 Electoral College votes. Every state counts! Now that you understand the Electoral College, what’s your opinion? Does it make sense this way or should we just go to a straight popular vote?

MB (c/o 98)

It Can Be Done

You need to vote

What is the Electoral College?