Guest column: Satellite voting is pivotal

WELCOME BACK
Welcome back students. To those of you who are sophomores and older, I hope you enjoyed your summer, and I am glad to have you back in Bloomington.  

To the incoming freshmen, welcome to Bloomington and Indiana’s 9th Congressional District.  

To those of you who do not know, my name is Baron Hill, and I am running to represent the people of southeast Indiana in the U.S. Congress.

AN INDEPENDENT VOICE
I am running to give southern Indiana an independent voice in Congress, a voice that will stand up to protect your future by protecting our economy and allowing jobs to grow.  

Much of my campaign has been focused on the youth of this country.
 
I have been focused on creating an economy that will provide good paying jobs, affordable housing and access to education for all.

Of course, when it comes to fighting for youth, nothing is more important than ensuring their right to vote and their right to be heard. I am continuing that fight today.  

Two years ago, Monroe County approved early satellite voting locations.

DEFENDING VOTING RIGHTS
These locations made it possible for citizens to vote at one of a few locations throughout the county in the weeks leading up to election day. One of these sites was the Indiana Memorial Union.

These locations were an immense success for IU, Bloomington and Monroe County.

Thousands of IU students, faculty and employees used early satellite voting to cast their ballots on their own time.

This did more than just increase voter turnout.

This helped make IU students feel more like a part of the community in the town that they will call home for four years. It gave them a sense of ownership and belonging in their community that is vital to all vibrant towns.  

Unfortunately, this incredibly popular program is in danger this year.

The Republican political appointee to the Monroe County Election Board is blocking these voting sites. She is taking away access to the ballot for you and citizens throughout Monroe County.

When asked why she voted in favor of cutting back our ability to vote, she responded that this election is “not a big one.”

Regrettably, my Republican opponent has also come out in favor of restricting ballot access, siding with political insiders instead of you, the voters.  

My friends, we know that this way of thinking is simply unacceptable.

We know that this upcoming election is a big one. This election is about a choice between moving forward as a nation or going back to the disastrous policies that created the recession.

It is about protecting and growing our economy or giving banks the ability to create financial havoc for us all.

It is about whether we want to protect and preserve Social Security for future generations or privatize it and risk it in the stock market.

It is about getting our national debt under control and not passing it on to future generations. Simply put, this election is about our future.

These are issues that matter to me because they matter to Indiana.

A CHOICE
However, we cannot stand up for these issues unless we insist on making our voices heard.  One of the most important steps you can take is registering to vote.

You can register to vote at the County Clerk’s office, or you can download the form from the Monroe County Democratic Party’s website.  Additionally, you can sign up to get involved with my campaign at www.hoosiersforhill.com.

This election is about a choice.

It is a choice between whether we want to return to the failed policies of the past or move forward while protecting and growing our economy.

While we may disagree sometimes about the best way to move forward, I think we all can agree that the one thing we cannot afford to do is go backward.

I look forward to working with you as we move our country forward.

Welcome back.