Democracy & Government

“Should Things Go Wrong at Any Time…”

Thomas Jefferson said it was up to us to keep democracy on track by exercising our right to vote. We've pulled together some quotes to help inspire you to get out there and cast your ballot this Election Day.

"Should Things Go Wrong at Any Time..."

A woman votes on Nov. 8, 2016 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)

We at BillMoyers.com hope you will make it out to your polling place — and if you need any info about where it is or who you’ll see on the ballot when you get there, check out the League of Women Voters’ Vote411 website, where you can type in your address and learn everything you need to know. Remember that it’s not just about the top of the ticket: Many of the policies that most directly impact our lives are decided in state houses and by our local city councils.

Voting takes time, and can be daunting. In some states, politicians have tried hard in recent years to make sure it isn’t easy for everyone to make their voice heard. So to help inspire you to go cast that ballot, we’ve been tweeting out some quotes about the importance of participating in our democracy from historic figures and present-day thinkers we follow, and a few from essays Bill Moyers has broadcast in the days before recent elections. We’ll add to this list over the course of the day.

Join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #VotingMatters — or comment below.

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