Did you vote on Super Tuesday?

Several campaign representatives who gathered on Monday, March 2 for a “Meet the Campaigns” event at Springfield College, sponsored by their Office of Multicultural Affairs, sure hope you did.

Voting is important because it gives citizens the power to choose the best candidates to represent them in office, where they can pass laws and make a difference.

However, this power has its limitations.

The 2020 election, which will be the 59th presidential election in America, is already shaping up to be a controversial one. The current President, Donald Trump, won in 2016 by electoral votes, but he ultimately lost the popular vote, which has happened only three other times in American history.

This year, after general votes are cast in November, electoral college votes will be cast to make the final decision for each state. At least 270 of the 538 possible votes are needed in order to determine a winner.

There are only two Republican candidates running for President, Donald Trump and Bill Weld.

Bill Weld is a former federal prosecutor and was also the governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. The Harvard and Oxford graduate has ample experience in politics. Throughout his career, he has been nominated for several important political posts, including Senator, the Ambassador to Mexico, and the Governor of New York. However, after the results were in on Super Tuesday, Weld only received one delegate vote, leaving Donald Trump as the lead Republican candidate.

Donald Trump is a businessman and former reality TV host of The Apprentice. He graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in economics. With his ample experience in business and $3.1 billion net worth, Trump is promising to “Keep America Great” for the next four years.

The Democratic party currently has three running candidates: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard. Michael Bloomberg and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren both announced they would be withdrawing from the race shortly following the results of Super Tuesday.

On March 1, Springfield College’s Office of Multicultural Affairs presented “Meet the Campaigns,” an event on their campus where representatives of the Democratic Presidential campaigns visited for a forum and an open question-and-answer session.

Campaign representatives from Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Tulsi Gabbard were present. Attendees had the opportunity to browse information booths for each candidate and discuss social issues and political opinions with representatives.

With primary elections favoring Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders thus far, the race is between the progressives and the moderates.

Joe Biden’s campaign representative spoke first at the forum about why Biden is the best candidate for President. Biden is a moderate Democrat who believes that “slow and steady wins the race.” His representative clarified the importance of ethics, values, and American’s reputation in the White House. He also touched on the Coronavirus and the need of a leader who can give citizens the information and confidence they need in order to protect themselves. Joe Biden served as Vice President while Barack Obama was in office, and plans to support similar policies on healthcare, the environment, and the economy.

Bernie Sanders’ campaign representative spoke next about why Sanders is what the country needs and why he is advocating for legislation for universal healthcare. His representative brought up the coronavirus and pointed out that testing and vaccinations for the disease can cost up to $3,000 for those without health insurance. Sanders’ representative also stressed the need for bold policies in “these unprecedented times,” and the need for a candidate who can move America forward in a bigger way.

Primary elections for all states will be over by June 3, 2020. Election day this year will be Tuesday, November 3.

The 15^th, 19^th, and 26^th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution were passed to ensure that every American over the age of 18 has the right vote regardless of race or sex. The power of voting goes way beyond voting for officials, but for the protection of the liberties we enjoy as Americans.

Readers can tune in to the second episode of The Hum in the Hive podcast this March for more information about the 2020 presidential campaigns and elections.