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Dear Editor:
This year marks the 85th anniversary of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote. This milestone is something
many of us can take for granted today with our busy schedules and hectic lives. Now, more than ever, it is important for women
to remember the role we play as voters in our communities. Your vote really does make a difference on vital women's issues, as
we see from news coverage about the Supreme Court. With the changing composition of the Court, women's rights may be especially
at risk as the strict conservatives become a majority and deliver the last word on what women can legally do.
From my experience as the youngest member of the Board of Directors of the Illinois League of Women Voters, I have learned
that many young people feel passionately when it comes to various issues. When it comes to choosing the people who make these
decisions in our government, however, many do not to go to the polls and vote. Voting is a critical link between citizen's
beliefs and the laws in our country.
As we look back at the work of the brave suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt, the founder of the League
of Women Voters, we must make their legacies live on in our actions. They risked their freedoms so we can work on protecting
the rights of our citizens today.
Through my leadership experience with the League of Women Voters of Champaign County Student Unit, I have witnessed how many
students are working to make sure their fellow classmates get out to vote. Most people believe students do not vote due to apathy,
but in reality, many do not vote because they feel uninformed. As an answer to this, the League produces a voter guide with
questions for candidates from local to state to federal levels, asking them questions most important to our student voters. Students
can then go to our website to read the candidate responses. We've also hold voter registrations drives and had a very successful
T-shirt sale with the slogan "Just Vote."
As elections time draws closer, please remember to take the time to register and celebrate this 85-year milestone--just vote.
Amanda Sheffer
Graduate student, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Student Unit Co-Chair, LWV of Champaign County
Member, Board of Directors, League of Women Voters of Illinois
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