seven reasons to vote on november 5th

If you happen to be one of the millions of Americans who aren’t sure if they’re going out to vote on November 5th — or if you think there’s no reason to vote — here are seven reasons for you to vote. Because one vote — your vote — can make a big difference.

  • reason # 1

    Many elections are decided by a small number of votes — more frequently than you imagine.

  • REASON # 2

    One reason why elections are often so close is because too many of us don’t actually vote.

  • Reason # 3

    Even those whose lives and futures are most at risk don’t show up at the polls in representative numbers. For instance, of all Americans, young people vote the least. In fact, the U.S. has one of the lowest rates of youth voter turnout in the world. Before the 2022 election, 40% of Gen Z voters said they were going to vote. The actual turnout nationally was 23%.

  • REASON # 4

    On the other hand, older, more conservative voters turn out in huge numbers, and rank #1 in turnout — 76% of them came out to vote in 2020. Polls show that it’s these turnout rates, disproportionate to the voting rates of other groups, that elect lawmakers who won’t vote for gun safety, access to health care, protection of the environment, fair treatment and respect for everyone’s rights, especially reproductive rights.

  • REASON # 5

    Even if the candidate you hope will win is elected, it’s possible that if enough young voters don’t get out to vote where it really counts, she won’t have the majorities she needs in the Senate and the House to pass her agenda.

  • Reason # 6

    Where does it count? Results in previous elections show how a small increase in voter turnout in just a few states can mean the difference between more deadlock or real change. In states like these, boosting the turnout among young people by just a few percentage points could make all the difference.

  • Reason # 7

    There are at least 345 million reasons to vote, but if you’re having trouble thinking of even one, then think of all those who won’t or can’t vote in this election, but whose lives depend on what happens on November 5th. And then decide to go out and vote — because you can.

  • so do the right thing.

    Now that you’ve decided to do the right thing yourself, there’s one more thing you can do to make a difference: take a few minutes to drop a line to five friends — just five friends — and share these seven reasons to vote. And encourage them to share these seven reasons with just five of their friends. Because it’s the right thing to do.

do you have a plan to vote?

Do you need to know where to go to vote on Tuesday, November 5th? Do you need to know how you can vote early in your state?

make your plan today!

The links below will tell you all you need to know!

how you can make a big difference on november 5th:

The easiest thing you can do to make a big difference is by making sure that you are going to vote — and then by taking a few minutes to encourage five of your friends to go out and vote. Just five friends!

three things to pass along

It makes a BIG difference.
Let your friends know that every election depends on who shows up to vote.
It doesn’t take much.
Remind them of just how many elections are decided by a small number of votes.
I’m voting. Are you?
Encourage them to vote with your own commitment to stand up and be counted.

IT’S GOING TO BE A CLOSE CALL!

Election day is just days away. But you can be sure of two things right now:

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Countdown finished!

# 1

The results on November 5th will probably be as close as close can be. Maybe not that close in the state or town where you happen to live. But on the national level, where it counts, election night will likely be a nail-biter.

# 2

Whatever the outcome, you can be absolutely sure that the results of what happens on November 5th will make a huge difference in everyone’s lives. And it’s all up to who manages to show up to vote — for better for for worse.

Don’t throw away your right to vote. your vote can determine your future — and shape the future of the world we all live in.

a small number of votes can make a big difference

Here’s how a small number of votes can change the outcome:▶︎ While more than 100 million voters cast ballots, the 2000 presidential election was so close that it came down to a margin of just 537 votes in Florida.▶︎ 312 votes helped more than 40 million Americans access affordable health care.▶︎ A vote margin of 0.41 percent played a hand in the creation of a Supreme Court that decided to go against what a large majority of Americans support and want, when they acted unilaterally to reverse and severely restrict reproductive rights.

how a few votes changed the outcome in ten of the closest house elections

Just a handful of votes changed the outcome in the 10 closest U.S. House elections (ranked by percentage of total votes cast):*
1. Indiana’s 8th District, 1984: Democrat Frank McCloskey defeated Republican Richard McIntyre by just four votes out of the 234,092 votes cast.2. Iowa’s 2nd District, 2020: Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks defeated Democrat Rita Hart by a margin of only six votes out of the 394,625 total votes cast. 3. Connecticut’s 2nd District, 1994: Democrat Sam Gejdenson defeated Republican Edward Munster by just 21 votes out of the 184,073 votes cast.4. Indiana 3rd District, 1986: Republican John Hiler defeated Democrat Thomas Ward by just 47 votes out of the 152,509 votes cast.5. Connecticut’s 2nd District, 2006: Democrat Joe Courtney defeated Republican Rob Simmons by 83 votes out of the 242,413 votes cast.6. Pennsylvania 13th District, 1996: Republican Jon Fox defeated Democrat Joe Hoeffel by 84 votes out of the 245,979 votes cast.7. New York 22nd District, 2020: Republican Claudia Tenney defeated Democrat Anthony Brindisi by 109 votes out of the 319,638 total votes cast.8. Michigan 8th District, 2000: Republican Mike Rogers defeated Democrat Dianne Byrum by 111 votes out of the 297,609 total votes cast.9. North Carolina’s 6th District, 1986: Republican Howard Coble defeated Democrat Charles Britt by just 79 votes of the 144,579 total votes cast.10. Minnesota’s 2nd District, 2000: Republican Mark Kennedy defeated Democrat David Minge by 155 votes out of the 288,900 total votes cast. * From: The Power of One Vote: An Examination of Close Federal, State, and Local U.S. Elections and How Just a Few Votes Can Shape Policy, Rebecca Mears and Zachary Geiger, Center for American Progress.

remember: it’s your vote. and It’s your future.

yourVOTEyourFUTURE
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