Former President Barack Obama is encouraging young Americans to consider coming up with a plan to cast their vote as he expressed concern about misinformation circulating in an effort to “confuse and mislead” people about the upcoming election.
In a video released on Wednesday, Obama praised young people for becoming experts on quarantining.
“Over the last few months, I’ve learned a thing or two from young people about how to quarantine successfully,” Obama said as he went on to note a few of the things he has learned from young TikTokers.
After the light-hearted banter, Obama went on to discuss the upcoming election as he stressed the importance of planning to vote in the upcoming election.
“Since you’ve given me so much lately, and so much hope over the years, I want to return the favor and help you make a plan in the upcoming election,” Obama said.
He added, “You know the stakes. For your lives, for your futures, your planet… Because young people have always been the ones to make change in this country, making change this fall is once again going to depend on you.”
Obama went on to note the importance of taking public health into consideration when preparing to vote.
“Since we’re still dealing with a pandemic, we’ve got to approach voting just like we do everything else these days,” he said.
See Obama’s remarks below:
Over the last few months, I've learned a thing or two from the young people in our country. I figured I would return the favor by sharing with you how to make a plan to vote in this upcoming election.
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 16, 2020
Get registered and vote early: https://t.co/Q5BUeMaOB5
Video: @attn pic.twitter.com/CNqjS7Dmxo
Obama went through the required steps to vote as he explained the voting methods currently available. He also urged young voters to pay close attention to deadlines and laws in their states.
According to the former president, the goal by some is to make voters “cynical” while trying to convince people that their vote does not matter.
“They’re trying to make you cynical,” Obama said in the video. “They’re trying to get you to believe that your vote doesn’t matter. Do not let them do that.”
Obama emphasized the importance of America’s democracy as he urged voters to cast their ballots as early as possible.
He said, “Our democracy is a precious thing, and it’s up to all of us to protect it,” and encouraged young voters to vote as early as they can.