Since Early Voting began, millions of voters across North Carolina have made their voices heard by casting their ballots at their nearest early voting site.

And App students have it especially good: we can stop by the Student Union from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. any day until Friday to vote. If you’re not registered at your current address, it’s not too late. Just bring your ID and proof of address like a phone bill, and you can register and vote on the spot. It really is that easy.

But it’s not just easy – it’s important. There are many reasons why every Mountaineer should cast his or her ballot this year, but two stand out.
First, the youth vote will make the difference. In 2008, President Barack Obama won North Carolina by 14,000 votes – that’s less than the student population here at App. But just two years later, in 2010, youth turnout plummeted. If we want to have a voice in our government instead of letting others call the shots for us, we have to stand up and be counted.

Second, the stakes are simply too high to sit this one out. We have a choice between two candidates with drastically different visions for our future. President Obama is fighting for young Americans every day. He fought to keep our student loan rates from doubling, ended the war in Iraq and is working toward equality for all Americans. Gov. Mitt Romney would cut Pell grants for more than 250,000 North Carolina students and slash more than 3,000 work-study positions in our state.

That’s not a plan. That’s an insult.

That’s why North Carolina students are joining together to send a message and take a stand – and we want you to join us. So grab your roommates, your classmates, your teammates and your friends, and stop by Plemmons Student Union to cast your ballot for Democrats up and down the ticket.

I’ll see you there.

Lia Poteet
College Democrats President