Collegiate Times

By college, the idea that all citizens have a responsibility to vote has been shoved down the throat of every person forced to sit through a civics class.

And we, the Collegiate Times, are reiterating it. It’s a message worth repeating because of where many of our readers, the students here at Virginia Tech, are in life. College students are in a transition between listening to teachers tell us why they should vote and actually experiencing firsthand what an impact voting can have. Think about this: Tim Kaine voted the smoking ban in restaurants into effect. That’s something that is hugely personal.

Sure, it may seem obnoxious to have every candidate handing out flyers around the corner or listening to their diehard fans — and yes, sometimes supporters are more like fans — complain about the opposition, but don’t let the politics involved deter you from actually voting.

It’s obvious that voting in more localized elections is far less common than voting in the presidential election. Presidential elections are more exciting. They decide who will not only lead our nation, but who will represent it to the rest of the world. The president makes big decisions that affect everyone living in the country.

Local elections might be less exciting, but they affect each person’s daily life, from where we shop to where we park downtown. One of the largest topics in the town council is the big box issue—whether or not we want super-stores in Blacksburg. Think of how different (better or worse — we’ll leave that up to the readers) life would be with a Wal-Mart around the corner from campus.

So, do your civic duty, the one that your second grade teacher spent two weeks drilling into your head. Even if it gets annoying to deal with the politics in political elections, the community can only improve when well-educated votes are placed.

The editorial board is comprised of Debra Houchins, Sara Mitchell, Peter Velz and Bethany Buchanan.