Voting – In Hoc, Sumus Pares [In this, we are equal]

Being a student at UND has granted me a unique position in terms of voting. On the one hand, I have enjoyed the privilege to attend a prodigious university and take classes from many commendable professors here in North Dakota. On the other hand, I am still a resident in my home state of Minnesota. I take pride in voting and I realized after high school that, although some believe one vote does not make a difference, my vote is my voice. Instead of voting in North Dakota, I took part in an absentee vote for Minnesota and my home county of Isanti. I felt it was necessary, in good conscience, to vote for candidates I have a better familiarity with.

Voting gives me an opportunity to have tangible and lasting impacts on my community back home. Through an absentee vote, I can still be represented in Minnesota despite living in North Dakota. Receiving my absentee voting package in the mail was an exhilarating and new experience for me. I filled out my vote, enthusiastically sent it on its way back to Minnesota, and slapped my “I voted” sticker on my chest. In that small moment, I felt proud to be participating in the voting process. My vote matters—and so does yours.

Wyatt Atchley