Vote, vote, vote!

“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
—Abraham Lincoln

As NRCA Vice President of Government Relations Duane L. Musser writes in his feature, “A time of high stakes,” “much is at stake for the future of our democracy.”

The U.S. general election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3, and the White House, House of Representatives and Senate are all awaiting the judgment of the American people. Unfortunately, many citizens who hail or denounce the performances of elected officials (and those who challenge them) will not exercise their right to vote.

During the 2018 midterm elections, which saw the highest voter turnout rate for a midterm election in 40 years, only 67% of eligible voters registered to vote and only 53% of those registered voters ultimately cast a ballot, according to the Census Bureau. There were 153 million registered voters in 2018, which means only 54 million people voted. With about 200 million eligible voters in the U.S., merely 27% of U.S. citizens made decisions for the rest of the country.

Interestingly, citizens in some states vote at higher rates than others. The Census Bureau reports that during the 2016 general election, the highest citizen voting rates were in Washington, D.C.; Maine; and Wisconsin at 74%, 73% and 70%, respectively. Tennessee, West Virginia and Hawaii had the lowest citizen voting rates at 54%, 51% and 47%, respectively.

In his feature, Musser explains how the outcomes of the upcoming elections can have grave consequences for the roofing industry. And the repercussions will happen in Congress as much as in the White House. 2020 has seen the U.S. divided on all sorts of issues (the COVID-19 pandemic, race relations, the economy), and casting a vote is one surefire way to ensure your beliefs have been recorded.

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, it is important for you to exercise your right (and duty) to vote and encourage your employees to do so, as well.

Ambika Puniani Reid is editor of Professional Roofing and NRCA’s vice president of communications.