You know thT every now and again, I like to give my students (and my readers) a pop quiz. Since it’s an election year and we have elections coming up on June 25 and November 5, it is incredibly important that we are informed and prepared, and registered for the very important elections ahead.
OK, let’s see if you can get a perfect score on the following questions: Who is running for the presidency on the Democratic and Republican Party lines?
That one is a softball, so let’s see if you can answer these slightly more difficult questions. Who is your state legislator? Who is your state senator? Are they running unopposed in the June 25 primary or are they facing a competitive race? Where is your polling station? If you choose to vote early, will you vote at the same polling place or somewhere else in the district? Are you registered to vote?
These questions are incredibly important this election season as we negotiate a host of economic issues. I always joke with my students and tell them if they can name the various “Housewives of Whatever City” and cannot name all of their electeds, we’ve got a bit of homework to do.
I know I might sound like a broken record, but voting is one of the most important civic duties we can undertake. However, if you do not have a voting plan or spend a little time educating yourself about the race ahead of time, the electoral process can feel daunting, overwhelming, and worth skipping—but abstaining from the electoral process is a grave disservice to yourself and to your community. Elected officials have limited time and resources, and they actually do look to see which neighborhoods have high turnout rates and can hold them accountable once they’ve won.
You have a little more than a month to prepare for the June 25 elections. That means doing your research as well as encouraging those in your inner circles to come up with a voting plan. If you go to www.whoseonteballot.org, you can look to see who is on your ballot, the various races you should be aware of, and where you will vote either on Election Day or the week beforehand.
Many civil rights organizations have programs to get “souls to the polls” on Election Day. We must do the same in our family and friend groups. If you are not satisfied with the choices that lie ahead, maybe you will consider running for office yourself, or supporting a candidate who is thinking of challenging someone who is already in office. There are many ways we can make our voices heard this election cycle. Let’s start by making sure we are registered to vote and have a voting plan.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio; and a 2023-24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CC