Students can change the course of history. And on Jan. 23, Dartmouth students have the opportunity to help save democracy by writing in Joe Biden on the Democratic presidential primary ballot.
Democracy is at stake in the 2024 election. This past Monday, Iowa Republicans chose Donald Trump as their state’s choice for the Republican presidential nominee. Yes, this is the same Trump that fomented an insurrection to overturn the results of the 2020 election of duly elected President Biden. Concerningly, 66% of Iowans who selected Trump this week do not believe that President Biden legitimately won the 2020 election.
Notably, though, Republican voter turnout for the Iowa Caucus was only 15%. While frigid weather conditions played a partial role, Iowa Republicans turned out at similar levels in 2012 and 2016. These anti-democracy voters are not representative of the democratic values that a supermajority of Americans support.
So, as the New Hampshire primary next Tuesday draws near, I call upon Dartmouth students to defend democracy by writing in Joe Biden on the Democratic primary ballot.
I understand that many students feel discouraged by politics right now and have reasonable critiques of President Biden. While I believe the Biden-Harris administration has enacted the most pro-youth policies in American history, this election is about more than just policies.
Despite having vastly differing ideas on policy, Dartmouth students and administrators across the political spectrum value open dialogue. I am confident that students on our campus understand that we have open dialogue as American citizens because of our democracy. And there is only one pro-democracy candidate running for president: Joe Biden.
As Republicans vie for their party’s presidential nomination, challenging Trump, it’s also worth noting that Joe Biden is the sole candidate among anyone running for president who has successfully defeated Trump.
For this primary, DNC rules scheduled South Carolina’s election before New Hampshire’s (in direct contradiction to New Hampshire state law), forcing Biden to run as a write-in candidate. This raises the stakes of this election even higher. Young voters cannot accept only 15% voter turnout to nominate our next president. We must show that young voters will uphold democratic institutions such as voting, and democracy itself, by writing in Joe Biden. All of us need to participate in democracy on Jan. 23.
Writing in Joe Biden this Tuesday is critical because Biden is not yet the Democratic Party nominee. While Iowa Republicans demonstrated that they are choosing dictatorship over democracy, young voters must reaffirm that the majority of Americans support democracy.
Students’ votes matter, and our voices can make the difference in this election. In 2012, then-President Barack Obama won the New Hampshire Primary during his re-election campaign with 49,080 votes. Grafton County, N.H. — home of Hanover — cast 4,073 votes. This statistic means that Dartmouth’s student population of 7,204 can truly influence the election if students turn out to vote.
More than 8 million Gen Z Americans will be newly eligible to vote in the 2024 election. Those Americans are us — students. And those numbers can make a difference in elections. We understand what’s at stake: implementing climate solutions, fighting for bodily autonomy, addressing the cost of living, further canceling student loans and building an economy that works for all of us.
After the primary, I anticipate the media will acknowledge that the key question within the Republican primary is whether a candidate must actively support democracy to secure the Republican presidential nomination. I believe the answer from Republicans will be “no.”
Meanwhile, President Biden has continuously battled to restore the soul of this nation and is running for re-election to finish the job. Dartmouth students can help grant President Biden a resounding victory and show the state, the nation and the world that New Hampshire supports democracy — so we support Joe Biden.
So, during this week that began with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us not forget his wise words: “Voting is the foundation stone for political action.” On Jan. 23, I urge you to write in Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nominee.
You can make the difference in this election. President Biden is the only anti-Trump, pro-democracy candidate in the race. By writing in Biden, you will help save our democracy.
JJ Dega is a pledged delegate to Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic National Convention and a current organizer for the Write-In Biden Campaign. Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
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