Election season is here, and I can hear your collective groan. We’re still recovering from the national trauma of a seemingly endless campaign season, and once again our doors, walls, and email accounts are plastered with posters demanding that we exercise our civic right (read: duty) to vote.
When I returned to my room late Sunday evening, I found notes from numerous candidates, telling me why they would be the best person for the job, or just reminding me that they have a name, they exist, and they really want to represent me. The notes went straight into my recycling bin, as I lamented another tree pointlessly wasted, envisioning thousands of Princeton students dismissing the notes in the same way. I briefly wondered why these candidates even bother running. Aside from the weekly emails advertising free movies, does the student government really do anything?
The obvious answer is that yes, of course they do. The student government is our voice on issues ranging from gender-inclusive housing to potential changes in the academic calendar. The students we elect truly do make a difference in our Princeton experience and the experiences of future Princetonians. Even if we only think of them as our guarantors to a decent Lawn Parties act, their role goes far beyond that.
A few moments later, I found myself pulling the candidates’ notes out of my bin and looking through their names. I went on the Undergraduate Student Government website and read through their personal statements. This year, unlike last, I’m actually going to vote.
I remembered the sense of urgency on campus during the weeks leading up to the national election. It may seem like eons ago, but it’s only been a month since the time when President-elect Trump was just The Donald. “I voted” stickers were ubiquitous. If someone proclaimed that they hadn’t voted or weren’t planning to, this often elicited confusion, or even anger. However, I doubt any Princeton students will practice this same behavior regarding the upcoming USG elections.
Granted, the next USG president is not going to change our lives. Some might argue that the role is merely symbolic. We are not choosing between a bigot and an experienced world leader, but rather between two well-meaning candidates whose platforms seem, at first glance, quite similar. The candidates for the different roles may be your teammates, your classmates, your OA snuggle buddies, or part of your zee group.
But these students are also our future representatives. The same disdain we hold for those who chose not to exercise their civic duty on Nov. 8 should be extended to those who choose not to vote in these elections. A civic duty is just that — a duty — regardless of the magnitude of its implications.
Princeton is an institution that prides itself on providing an education that goes beyond the classroom. Many Princeton students credit this place for teaching them how to be effective leaders. By the same logic, Princeton must teach its community members how to choose their leaders. This is where we get used to reading platforms, engaging with candidates, and electing people not because they are our friends, but because they hold ideas that strike us as important and worth pursuing.
I was shocked to discover that almost half of eligible American voters don’t vote in national elections. But when I learned that less than one-third of Princeton’s undergraduate body voted in the last election for USG president, I shrugged. In fact, I am one of the two-thirds of students who didn’t bother logging into the election website.
This is unacceptable. How can we, as Princeton students, demand of our country what we do not demand of ourselves?
Whether or not you know the candidates, I hope you will take the time to look at their platforms. Vote for the students who plan to advocate for changes you hope to see on this campus. And if you’re not clear on what the candidates are planning to do, there is still time. You can ask them. Even if you’ve thrown away all the notes left on your doorstep, even if you don’t have a clue who’s running, even if the thought of democratic elections evokes PTSD symptoms from Nov. 8 — please, vote.
Iris Samuels is a sophomore from Zichron Yakov, Israel. She can be reached at isamuels@princeton.edu.
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