Voting in the (ALA) Presidential Election

Posted March 18, 2016 by Tara Pealer

I’m not saying that I don’t care about the current Nation Presidential Elections. However, I’m an independent registered in Connecticut,  which means I don’t get a vote until November 2017. There is one election I can vote in, and it’s the ALA elections, and I recommend that every ALA member (even students!) vote. If voter turnout is low, the elections can get really tight.

The ALA website has a lot of great links and information, and I recommend doing your background research on the candidates. Their biographies and positions are all stated clearly on the website, and the three presidential candidates each have websites for people to view. There are three positions to vote for in this election cycle: President, Treasurer, and Councilor-at-Large. You can even do all of your reading when you’re voting on the website.  There’s even a few Simmons Alumni running to fill some of the 34 vacant Councilor-at-Large positions!

I worked at the Jim Neal table for ALA Midwinter, but I got to learn about and interact with plenty of the ALA members who are highly involved each year. I’m excited to see where the election goes. I know that students are a huge voting group, and I’m sure if we put the same passion we have for the United States Presidential Elections into the ALA elections, we can ensure that our voice gets heard and has a stake in the future of the profession. So go vote! Figure out what you want the ALA of the future to look like.