Anwar's Reflections Hosts Senate Debate To Combat Voter Apathy

TRENTON--"Anwar's Reflections"-- a Trentonian affiliate, in association with Occupy the Hood NJ will be hosting a U.S. Senate debate October 17th at Mercer County Community College from 4 to 6 pm to combat voter apathy.

This debate was born out of a concern for voter apathy.Voter apathy refers to a situation where eligible Americans choose to boycott participation in elections, for whatever reason.

This November 6th, the President, U.S. Senators, and different members of the legislature will all be on the ballot.

According to Real Clear Politics, 56.2% of the people say that the country is going in the wrong direction.

Indeed, as more and more citizens wrestle with unemployment, rising prices, and a lack of healthcare, it would seem that for this year's election, the stakes could not be any higher. However, whether people will actually turn out this year is another question. Alas, even as it is recognized that voter turnout has increased over the last three presidential elections according to CBS News, there is still this nagging sense that more and more people are showing a lack of interest in politics or the political process due to busy schedules, cynical resignation, or perhaps even due to their sheer confusion about how the voting process works, it makes one wonder how many people will actually turn out to vote.

And to make matters worse, across the nation, there have been changes made to voting laws that could potentially affect "minorities", the elderly and student populations. Many of these laws require that voters present identification at the time of voting. According to TechnicianOnline Staff Writer Lindsey Rosenbaum, "these laws were mainly implemented by Republican congressmen in an attempt to fight voter fraud, but some voting rights advocates see this instead as voter suppression targeting main Democratic demographics". For more on this issue, click here.

With these sorts of issues looming, "Anwar's Reflections"-- a Trentonian affiliate, in association with Occupy the Hood NJ, have decided to hold a U.S. Senate debate at Mercer County Community College's Kerney Hall located in Downtown Trenton October 17th from 4 to 6 pm. 

The event is designed to raise awareness about the upcoming election and to encourage involvement in the democratic process. Information on how to register to vote will be available for those that need it.

During the debate, we will be discussing a variety of issues affecting Mercer County and urban centers like Trenton. We will address issues like jobs, workforce development, and the role of government. If you are interested in submitting debate questions, click here.

Greg Pason of the Socialist Party, Inder Soni, Kenneth Kaplan of the Libertarian Party, and Daryl Brooks of the Reform Nation Political Party have all confirmed that they can attend. Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican candidate Joe Kyrillos have also been invited, but as of today, they have not confirmed their attendance.

Food and refreshments will be available.

For more information on the event, contact Anwar Salandy at 609.968.6114 or email him at anwarsalandy@ymail.com.