November 5, 2024

Statement on the 2024 Election

Today, millions of people will drive, carpool, bus, bike or walk to the polls to make their voices heard. Many already have. But so many are still deciding whether they will participate or not.

There is too much at stake to sit this election out. 

In a nation of 335 million people, 244 million over the age of 18 are eligible to vote. Only 161 million are registered to do so – just 66%.

We understand there is often not a perfect candidate. We understand politics can be frustrating. We understand that you may live in a state where you feel your vote may be washed out by a sea of red or blue.

But you must understand that there is so much more on the ballot than one race. There are implications at every level on your ballot. Governors, senators, representatives, state legislators, county commissioners, mayors, councilmembers, school board members, state and local propositions. These are individuals and issues that impact your community directly. They impact if you can vote next year, what your children can learn in schools, what health or needs-based resources you have access to.

Vote.

People have fought and died for the right to vote – not just on some distant battlefield, but on streets right here at home. They did so because they believed in democracy; they believed in America and the land it could be.

We believe. And we will always believe. Because when we reject hate, when we embrace dialogue, when we unite rather than divide, when we work to solve problems rather than point fingers, we move ever forward toward liberty and justice for all.

Today, vote for your ancestors, who dreamed of the right to cast their ballot. Today, vote for the next generation, who can enjoy a freer future because of you.

Today, vote.

Woodrow Keown, Jr.
President & COO
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center