To the Editor,

There is not a lot that unites us politically right now, except that roughly half of Americans are going to wake up Nov. 9 with an incumbent president they won’t be able to stand. I hope I will not be included in said group. Therefore, I know precisely what I’m going to be doing on Nov. 8. VOTING!

We live in an area of the country where our vote matters more than most other places. I moved out to Lewisburg from Wellesley, Mass., and for once I live, in one of the dozen states, where my vote for president actually makes an impact. As a first-year, registering to vote in the state of Pennsylvania was one of the first things I did when I got to campus. As the target demographic, it’s not a coincidence that every commercial break consists of a series of political ads. This is where this election is going to be decided.

We’ve had a lot of difficult times in America, and we’ll have a lot of difficult times ahead, but we can only bridge the real differences we face as a society by coming together and accepting our civic responsibility. The Constitution starts with “We the People,” indicating that while our political system is based on the fundamental idea of checks and balances, the people are the ultimate check, and that only when the people are silenced are demagogues allowed to rise. It pains me when I hear my peers talk about not voting at all. How can we demand change, if we are unwilling to fight for and elect a leader who will push our country in a positive direction? Your vote could make the difference.

Assuming you live on campus, our polling location is at the Weis Center and the polls will be open between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If you are voting for the first time, you need a form of identification, but it does not necessarily need to include a photo ID as long as it includes your name and address. Some approved forms of non-photo ID include bank statements or various bills.

Homa Gharagozlou ’20