Every year, we head to our local voting precincts to take part in a sacred right. We choose our local, state and national leaders. We weigh questions that decide how our tax dollars are spent. We ensure that our voices are heard.
This year, we’ll elect a governor and help decide the makeup of Congress, among other important races. The stakes are high, and Georgians are turning out in record numbers, voting early or casting mail-in ballots.
If you haven’t already voted, polls in Georgia open Tuesday morning at 7. Still on the fence about casting your ballot? Today, we’re providing some inspiration from your neighbors.
They’ll remind you of your civic responsibility, and show us once again, that yes, your vote really does count.
“I vote because I’m scared – truly and honestly scared for the future of this country. I was always politically engaged when I was younger. I was watching CNN basically in diapers. If I can cast my little vote and just say, ‘Hey, I tried,’ I’m fine with that. It may not change the world, but even in the worst of situations, people need a bit of blind optimism.” Toni Odejimi
“At my advanced age, I don’t vote for myself. I vote for the futures of my little grandsons, ages 7 and 8. I will talk to them about many things as they grow older, and I will try to help them understand their rights and responsibilities in their world. I will try to help them learn what is right and what is wrong in life and what they can do about it. That’s why I vote.” Linden Longino
“I have been encouraged by many friends to vote early, but I prefer not to. The reason is that my voting precinct is at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Every time I arrive to vote, I am reminded of how many people lost their lives or risked their lives for the privilege to vote. A couple of years ago, I was standing in a very long line to vote and there was a Black man behind me. He started to lose patience with the long line and wanted to leave. I turned and said to him, ‘You know, as a woman I didn’t always have the right to vote. And as a Black man, neither did you. I’ll keep you company until we get up there.’ I regret not getting his name, but that memory stays with me. Voting is a hard-fought right by generations of people in the past, and a crucial decision today that will shape the future.” Maria Balais
“Democracy is a living entity. The vote is one of the primary muscles for any democracy. It is the citizens’ responsibility to exercise these muscles in order to sustain a healthy democracy. I had turned 18 as I entered my freshman year of college and had my first privilege to exercise my right to vote for a presidential candidate. Our president at the time was Jimmy Carter, who was seeking a second term. You will recall long gas lines and the Iran hostage ordeal. I was disillusioned. You will also recall Ronald Regan coming from Hollywood and California with his platform for trickle-down economics and corporate deregulation. I was disillusioned. So, with my 18-year-old world vision, I cast my ballot, my voice, in protest for the third-party candidate John Anderson. Sadly, I have regretted my first vote for the rest of my years. Since then, I have exercised that voting muscle every election cycle, and I have done that with all due seriousness, honor and pride. I may be more realistic today, but I am not disillusioned.” Perry Rettig
“I vote for many reasons – past, present, and future. In the past, my race would have denied me the right to vote, so I vote to honor those who years ago fought so that my generation could enjoy this right. I vote for the present because our democracy is under attack by those who challenge the integrity of our elections. I vote for our future because maps are being redrawn and laws are being changed to suppress votes in my community.” Thomas Billups
“Today, we live in a fragmented and complex world. Many of our fellow citizens feel a sense of anxiety and uncertainty about what tomorrow may bring. Understanding issues that are most important to us and being civically engaged are essential duties of a responsible citizen. Choosing the right leaders to govern under the rule of law is also vital. Vote because good governance matters. Good governance is paramount to the success and strengthening of our democracy, which allows all people to have the opportunity to be heard and to thrive. Good governance requires strong leadership, and strong leadership requires strong leaders. Vote because good governance matters.” Behnoosh Momin
“When I became of age, I remember voting having vibrato, and politics feeling meaningful. Politics for me now is consumed with coercion and corruption misaligned by purpose, all of which play a vital role in decisions that impact our lives, leaving ‘the people’ deficient of true democracy. No matter the atmosphere, feeling or sense of disappointment within the voting process, voting still stands for choice – a choice that people of color and women fought to have. By exercising this choice, it reminds me that I MATTER!” Toyasha Vaughn
“I was born and raised in India, the largest democracy in the world. I immigrated to the United States as an adult, and it took me 13 years to become a proud citizen of what we’ve come to know as one of the greatest democracies in the world. While this great country recognizes voting as a ‘right,’ I very much think and believe that voting is my duty. I cannot – and will not – let anything or anyone deter me from my duty. I vote because I cannot in all good conscience let the United States become a failed democracy. Every vote counts. All of us understand the importance of voting, but the only way to effectively institute change is to build a sense of urgency, and, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, to ‘be the change you wish to see in the world.’” Alok Pandya
“Voting is our chance to accept or change the status quo. The belief that we can make a difference is fundamental to a fulfilling life. It is a concept I want to teach my grandchildren – that what we as individuals do, does matter. Democracy is a concept I want my grandchildren to learn and embrace. Not voting says you have either lost hope or you don’t care. I choose to believe that voting is an act of faith. I hope and pray that the world can be a better place for them to grow up.” Mary Rittle
“As a non-US citizen living in this country, I am not able to vote yet. However, the impact of voting has surrounded me. Growing up voting in my own country has made a big impact on who I want to lead my country and who will make positive changes. Our country needs leaders who can help navigate and guide us in the right and the most effective destination; we all can make this happen with the power of voting. I have emphasized to everyone around me and to my own children the importance of voting and using your voice to make a change. Do not think that one voice will not make a difference. Never ignore the power of your vote! I cannot wait until next year when I will become a U.S. citizen and will be able to use my right for the very first time to make a difference for this country that I now call home.” Alia Johnson
“Voting is a sacred act. Voting represents an idea that our fates, regardless of race, creed, party, belief, background, or where we live, are bound together as we journey together on this ship called the United States of America, and that all of us have a voice worthy of being heard. Voting is also an act of hope and faith that over the horizon we’ll have left a better place for all who come behind us. Please vote.” John Ray
“Exercising my right to vote is one of the many ways that I take pride in being involved in my community. It’s a way for me to be an engaged citizen. I believe in ‘being the change you want to see,’ and voting, in addition to volunteering and other charitable efforts, is one of the many ways that community members can bring desired change to fruition. Might I add, voting is only part of the work. Make sure that you make an informed decision like you would with anything else. Get to know those you are voting for, the policies they want to implement, and what changes they are advocating for on your behalf. Remember, your vote is your voice.” Schuyler Harding
“I vote because it is my civic duty and because, frankly, my voice really does matter. Growing up as a first-generation American and as the son of Mexican-immigrant farmworkers in deep, rural southwest Georgia, I don’t take my right to vote for granted. Voting is an easy but powerful demonstration of my patriotism for this country and of my respect for those who have gotten into ‘good trouble’ to earn my right to vote. Voting empowers my voice and, by virtue, the voices of the many communities important to me (farmworkers, the undocumented and DACA-mented, indigent patients, rural residents, etc.). Please vote! ¡Vota!” Erick Martínez Juárez, M.D.
“Blood and tears paved the way for the right to vote. It is sacred. As an African American attorney that handles civil rights cases, I have found myself in too many situations where families are hurting with little possibility of recourse or remedy due to laws passed without their interest in mind. The laws passed by our elected officials have real-life impacts. The right to voting is therefore an effective means to impact change in our communities, but it is also an avenue for disenfranchisement if it is not exercised. This is particularly true in an election cycle where some are calling into question the legitimacy of the vote … Now more than ever, the sacred right to vote must be exercised in order to preserve our democracy.” Thomas E. Reynolds Jr. Esq.
