In the United States, a country celebrated for its democracy, it is surprising how few people engage in the civic responsibility of voting. In fact, the United States ranks 31st out of 35 developed countries in voter turnout — a statistic that we, as college-educated students, have the power to change.

Voting remains the foundation of democracy in the United States, but political tribalism and social division have threatened the integrity and credibility of our institutions, and worse yet, of our democratic governance.

We at The News not only encourage you to vote, but we believe it is your responsibility to do so. When Nov. 6 comes, if you will not vote for the country or for yourself, do it for those who cannot. Vote for the rights of those too young to have a say in the future being molded for them.

Vote for the rights of all the little girls who want to be the next Rashida Tlaib or Ilhan Omar. Vote for the rights of all the women who want to be the next leaders making certain they are not the only Muslim women elected to Congress and the House of Representatives, respectively.

Vote for the rights of all the children who don’t understand how to defend themselves alone without their parents, let alone by themselves in federal court. Vote for the rights of Dreamers. Vote for the rights of immigrants.

Vote for the rights of all the individuals who feel imprisoned by the gender binary, who are turned away from the polls because their gender identity is incorrectly reflected by their I.D. Vote for the right of freedom to choose who to be.

Vote for the rights of those who don’t have the right to do so in territories that are administered by the United States. Vote for the rights of those who have historically faced disenfranchisement  due to identification laws and continue to do so today.

Vote for the rights of every person of color who has defended their country even when their country has not done the same for them. Vote for the country that stands for all of its people.

Vote for the rights of every bright-eyed child who deserves an education where they can learn without fear of guns or bullets.

Vote for equality, for love, for justice. Vote to speak up.

Campus Vote Project reports that in 2008, 21 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 said they weren’t registered to vote because they missed the registration deadline, while six percent said they didn’t know where or how to register.

At The News, it is a public service to provide the Northeastern community with the tools to ensure that students are not restricted from being active participants in such an important process. Elections have the power to contribute to the advancement of progress and community development. Our votes fuel that power.

Let’s change the narrative this time. After all, everyone loves a good twist. And better yet, no one will see it coming.

Absentee ballots: If a student is still registered in their home state while attending school in another,  the government allows absentee ballots to be sent instead. Absentee voters submit their ballots, which can be easily obtained from Vote.org, by mail before the election. This allows the vote to count in their state without having to travel to a hometown polling location.  

Polling locations: If you are registered to vote in Massachusetts, but do not know where to vote on Nov. 6, polling place locators will quickly locate your nearest polling stations for you.

Editor’s Note: The News’ photo editor Brian Bae, and deputy photo editor Dylan Shen have recused from this editorial.