TO THE EDITOR:
Local elections are often overlooked as inconsequential, with Orange County’s relatively low voter turnout in the 2015 municipal elections reflecting a larger narrative of voter apathy outside of major elections.
However, voting in these elections is much more than a civic duty- it is an extension of the powerful activist work that the UNC student body has engaged in this year and for many years prior.
When we vote, we disrupt top-down systems of oppression at their source and take part in the student body’s continued fight for the vulnerable and disenfranchised.
Electing lawmakers who believe in policies that align with campus activist work such as the removal of Silent Sam, protection of undocumented students, and continuity of civil rights work by UNC institutions is a staple part of campus activism.
Voting does not mitigate the importance of protest, lobbying, discussion and direct action for the protection of all on UNC’s campus.
Rather, voting is a complement to this work by electing officials supportive of policies that protect UNC students.
If we want to continue fighting for what is right in our community, students must go and cast their ballot in the ongoing local elections and partake in the civic process at each opportunity in Chapel Hill and beyond.
Brian Fields
