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Voting is one of our most basic rights as citizens—yet it is a sad fact that many of us don’t vote. In the hotly contested 2000 presidential election, only 67% of eligible voters nationally went to the polls.
Turnout for midterm elections—like those coming up in November—tends to sink even lower. In 1998, only 51% of eligible voters voted—and this year, early indications are that voter turnout could be lackluster.
Why is this trend occurring? Perhaps many citizens don’t see the connection between Congress and their own lives. But in speech-language pathology and audiology, there are clear connections—key issues that will be considered during the next congressional session. It is critical that we elect candidates in November who support our professions and the people we serve.
What’s at stake this year? To start with, political control of both houses of Congress. On Nov. 5, all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives will be decided, in addition to 34 crucial Senate seats. A single seat keeps the Senate in Democratic hands, and the House has a Republican majority of only six. With the current razor-thin margins in both the House and Senate, control of both chambers could easily swing to either party as a result of voter turnout. Every vote always counts—but this year, it could determine our ability to move forward in the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology.
Find out how you can Get Out The Vote!
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