Temple’s American Civil Liberties Union and the Black Law Student Association held an event yesterday, Nov. 7, titled “Your Vote Counts,” to explain the significance of student voices and the importance of voting.

“It’s important to basically have a voice. We have a lot of concerns, but no one really does anything about it,” senior risk management major Christina Abebreseh said, who is also president of the Black Law Student Association. “People think that only the primary elections are important, but every election is important.”

Approximately 20 students were present, including senior education major Alyssa Pinder.

“We all have concerns and we need to voice our opinions on certain issues that affect us,” Pinder said. “We should get the right people out there who are going to do the right stuff.”

The event also featured Harold Jordan, from the Pennsylvania branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.

“Voting matters. It determines who gets elected and who runs things,” Jordan said. “People tend to think of voting when they’re talking about mayor or president. But there are a lot of officials who are running, like city commissioners [or] judges, who have a direct impact on all aspects of life.”

He added that students should be concerned about the cost of education, financial aid and zoning laws.

-Matthew Petrillo