When Donald Trump said, “Vote for me, you’re not going to have to do it ever again,” he signaled plans for authoritarian rule where our votes no longer matter. Now, he and his team are actively working to undermine the upcoming election.
What made America great is that our Constitution established a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. As Benjamin Franklin famously noted, we have “a republic, if you can keep it.”
This election may be our last chance to preserve our republic, and we can do so by turning out in overwhelming numbers. Every eligible citizen must register and vote. We need to vote out those who refuse to stop this stranglehold on our democracy and elect leaders who will work for the people — not the billionaires and oligarchs. Democracy is not a spectator sport, and recent years serve as a stark warning of what happens when we do not engage.
This past Saturday, Oct. 17, marked the first day of early voting. No Kings Day celebrations took place across Franklin County to encourage early voting, which is easy, accessible at your local town hall, and protects the integrity of our election.
Let’s save our democracy together!
Eve Brown-Waite
Gill