How will you look back on November 5, 2024? As someone who knows they did whatever they could to get their candidates elected to the White House, the State House and other important positions? Or as someone who stood by and let others decide for them?

You know what we here at The Citizen always suggest: Be a voter, a get-out-the-voter, an educator and an advocate. (We have all the information you need to make an informed decision about who’s on the ballot here.) And this year, do all that while knowing you are in the center of the political universe — again. Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral college votes, is critical to winning the presidency. And Philadelphia, with 12 percent of the state’s population, is critical to the state.

On Election Day, the whole thing — including our nation’s intrepid experiment with democracy — is in our hands.

If that’s not enough reason to motivate you, consider that not only are we voting for president and vice president, we also have important races statewide that can determine our fate for the next four years: Attorney general, auditor general, treasurer, a senator, members of the U.S. House of Representatives and state senators and representatives.

These elected officials determine our voting rights, reproductive rights, gun laws, education policy, climate policy and taxes. Pennsylvania politicians decide how to spend our money, what streets get paved, what schools get funded, what rules businesses must follow, how much government will help or hinder the living of our lives.

Need more convincing — or ideas for how to convince your friends and family to vote? Read on.

More reasons to vote on November 5:

BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT PHILADELPHIA.

• Want to ensure Philadelphia’s needs are met by the state and federal government? Then Philadelphians need to turn out to vote. That’s the only way to let our electeds know we are paying attention — and demanding they pay attention back. And why shouldn’t they? This is the greatest city on earth, and casting a ballot is a vote for our future.

BECAUSE THERE ARE FOLKS OUT THERE WHO DON’T WANT YOU TO. 

• As public intellectual Michael Eric Dyson told a Philly crowd recently, “The greatest trick of white supremacy is making you believe you ain’t got nothing to vote for.” Generations of Americans had to fight — many had to die — to ensure Black people, women and the non-landowners among us could vote. The least we can do is show up.

YOU CARE ABOUT KIDS.

• It’s hard to be a young person in Philadelphia these days. Not just for the big headline-grabbing reasons — gun violence, struggling schools, a warming planet —  but for the mundane ones: mental health, places to hang out, clean sidewalks and enough food to eat. Vote because the children can’t.
• Think kids don’t care about elections? Think again: Dozens of inspiring young people in Philadelphia have been doing everything they can to get out the vote, from Lorene Cary’s VoteThatJawn to PA Youth Vote, to SEAMAAC’s incredible outreach work. Let’s set a good example.

IT’S EASY — AND FUN

• Honestly. Your polling place is in your neighborhood. Poll workers are approachable and happy to help. They sometimes have lollipops — and they always have stickers.
• You don’t even need to leave home. Just register to vote by mail and hand your ballot to a postal worker. Done.

IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.

• If you don’t vote, then the message to our leaders is clear: You don’t care. The list of who votes is public (though not who you vote for). And politicians often make decisions based on that information. Want your state representative to care about young people? Then young people need to vote. Want policies that benefit Black men? Then Black men need to cast a ballot. Ditto any other demographic, ditto you.

THIS IS AMERICA, DAMNIT.

• Democracy is — no exaggeration — at risk in America. In 2020, a losing president tried — and failed — to overturn election results. And last year, according to the Brennan Center, more than half of the United States further limited access to voting. Are we really going to let the enemies of democracy get away with that?

MORE FROM THE CITIZEN ON THE 2024 ELECTION