Super Tuesday Brings Out The Voice of San Angelo Voters

Voters in San Angelo, Texas and across the nation are out on this Super Tuesday to prepare for the 2016 general election.

To inspire the vote, people from all across San Angelo met up at the Conference Center behind West Texas Rehab: one of many locations where people can cast their vote and make it count. At approximately 11 a.m., both Republican and Democrat voters made their way to the tables at the Conference Center to vote in today's primaries.

When asked about the importance of voting, one voter said that it is one of the major roles that American citizens play in the election for federal government.

“It’s really an effort to make a change, or a difference with policy being passed by the government,” the voter said.

A major part about voting is being engaged in the process. Many people, including young students who are eligible to vote across the country, continue to be disengaged with elections. In fact, this morning at the City Council meeting, Harry Thomas, who is running for City Council, Single-Member District 3, said early voting numbers did not exceed record numbers as hoped or predicted, so there is uncertainty on how people will vote, or not, today.

“If you’re not playing an active role in your government, then your government is just playing an active role in your life and you have no say so,” another voter said.

However, where some citizens do nothing, others go beyond the voting booths and actively support a candidate with their campaign. This is the case with the San Angelo for Bernie Sanders Volunteers who are encouraging citizens to get out and vote.

“Voting is the basics of our democracy,” Ken Flippin, Bernie Sanders for President Volunteer media coordinator, said. “It’s how we elect our leaders, and if we are unhappy with them, it’s how we elect new leaders.”

Flippin continued to explain that voting goes beyond the Presidency, and directly affects who represents the American people in Congress.

“It is an opportunity for us to change the way our Government works, so it reflects our values,” Flippin said.

When talking about young voters, Flippin presented his opinion that many other voters echo as well.

“A lot of people disengage because they feel that government and politics don't really represent them; but the reality is, when we aren’t represented and don’t participate, we are actually giving power and control of our country over to those who are trying to disengage us,” Flippin said.

Overall, the U.S. Government controls different aspects of America’s society, from the economy to education reform, all of these factors are directly affected by those who represent the citizens in Congress, The Supreme Court, and the Executive branch.

It’s important to get involved and to be aware of the influence of what politics has on everybody’s life, said Candace Daval, former Democrat nominee for The U.S. House, District 21. 

Duval elaborated on the stance that many Americans living paycheck to paycheck and who have children to care for are affected by the policies passed by representatives in Congress.

“We need to participate so we can be in control of what happens to us,” Duval said. “You would be amazed of what you can learn, and what you can change.”

Not all young voters are necessarily disengaged, as is the case with Jessica Compton, a San Angelo for Bernie Sanders volunteer who runs an online blog for the efforts of encouraging people to vote for Bernie Sanders.

Currently, Compton has close to 432 members subscribed to the page. She started this online blog in May of last year when Compton’s mother started to talk to her about Bernie Sanders' campaign efforts.

At first, Compton said she felt disengaged from the political process, but started to appreciate voting more after listening to what Sanders had to say.

Since finding her interest in Bernie’s message, Compton has been phone banking for the campaign and contributes by sending messages about the campaign through Facebook.

These are just a few examples of citizens who have gone out to have their voices be heard in this primary election. Stay involved with San Angelo LIVE! as we update all thing Super Tuesday, from poll results to other stories of voters looking to change America.