There is only a week left until the US general elections, wherein voters around the nation will cast their ballots in favor of candidates seeking public office. As an organization committed to representing the interests of the Chicagoland Muslim community, the Council of Islamic Organizations would like to encourage any and all citizens irrespective of faith or national background, to fulfil their civic obligations by participating in the democratic process.
Voter apathy and public cynicism have long conspired to contribute to low voter turnout in American elections and create an ever-widening gap between public officials and their constituencies, which in turn feeds into the growing void of more apathy and disengagement. The result has been that our political system has grown increasingly polarized and many demographic segments of American society have been reduced to targets of political demagoguery in order to mobilize other segments of the electorate into voting booths.
In the process, many of our friends and neighbors have been caught in the crossfire of this discord. Not only Muslims, but immigrants and refugees of all faiths, women across the social spectrum, and multiple minority groups have been marginalized or exploited, have had their place in American society placed under scrutiny, and now face challenges to their civil liberties and social capital.
This November 8th, it is time to make a statement by choosing to remain politically active and reinforce the ideal that political representation is a right of all Americans, but it is also a duty demanded of us. Let us not stand still while the machinations of the political system move around us – get out the vote!
- Check if you’re registered to vote
- You can still register on-site at your polling place (Find your polling place)
- Vote early until November 7
- Election day is Tuesday, November 8