Early birds have already flocked to the nearest library, county clerks’ offices, stadiums and fire stations to cast their ballots for the presidential primary elections. And with the surge in early voting sessions comes the wave of die-hard campaigners to vie for the delegate-rich Texas, one of the first states to adopt an early-voting program.
This go-round, the University of Houston will get the chance to join in on election madness, as former President Bill Clinton holds a rally for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., from 8:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. tonight at Hofheinz Pavilion.
At the event, students will have the opportunity to hear from the former president as he urges voters to hit the polls.
Though most students would rather sit at home and put off homework while catching up on their television shows than attend a political event at UH, students should at least consider going to the rally, especially if they missed Tuesday’s event with presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. (See story, Page 1).
Even students who don’t plan to vote for Hillary Clinton should attend – while voting is important, it does little good if the voter is ill informed about the candidates.
As Texas’ primary on March 4 serves as one of the biggest prizes left in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, student attendance at these functions is crucial. No matter which side of the political spectrum students are on, they should show concern for the election.
For too long the number of young voters making it out to the polls has remained low. This may be because members of the younger generation of eligible voters feel their votes don’t count or as if they aren’t knowledgeable enough to make an informed vote, but whatever the case, students should make every attempt to become informed and take advantage of their right to vote.
According to The Houston Chronicle, early voters accounted for nearly 40 percent of the votes in the 2006 Senate race, and students should be the first to get the ball rolling on casting their early ballots.
So get your homework out of the way, cancel your dates and make sure to stop by Hofheinz Pavilion to hear what Bill Clinton has to say about presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. Be inspired for her or against her, but most importantly be inspired to vote.
If we’re lucky maybe we’ll even get to see him play his sax.
