Affirming Voters' Voices for CHANGE

Affirming voters' voices
Miami Herald - 12/14/08

I never truly knew the faces and voices behind Florida's Electoral College until this year. Like many, I viewed this vestige of the U.S. Constitution with some suspicion. This changed, however, when I received a call to serve as one of those voices on behalf of Barack Obama's campaign, one of 27 electors for Florida.

The Electoral College process is part of the U.S. Constitution's original design. Each state's popular vote determines the number of electors based on its congressional districts. The first presidential candidate to win 270 electoral votes out of a possible 538 wins the Oval Office.
The 27 electoral votes for Florida reflect the changing hue of this state from red to blue. It also speaks to its ever-changing demographics and, in turn, its political pulse. Some pundits say that the growing Hispanic vote had a direct impact on this year's presidential election. Others have concluded the state's growing and diverse black community tipped the scales.

The primary reason Florida is awash in blue is the surging activism and burgeoning voter rolls in key pockets. From the suburbs of Tampa to the urban immigrant neighborhoods of Miami-Dade and Broward counties, Democrats, Republicans and independents alike woke up and embraced the powerful message of change. Floridians gave their dollars despite a bad economy, volunteered their time and organized friends and colleagues to knock on doors and staff phone banks. Many met neighbors for the first time; constituents realized their power.

On Nov. 4, voters chose the men and women who will serve in the Electoral College. As an elector, I will go to Tallahassee on Dec. 15 to record your vote on an official ''Certificate of Vote.'' As a group, we will sign, seal and certify Florida's electoral votes and immediately send them to the president of the U.S. Senate, the archivist of the United States and other federal and state officials for official counting on Jan. 8, 2009.

In the Senate chambers that day, I will echo not only my voice, but that of thousands of Floridians who voted early and turned up the volume of their voices in this election. It will be a resounding confirmation that Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States.
Voting is serious business and should not be taken for granted. We must treasure this precious constitutional right and honor the intent of our Founding Fathers. We can all be proud and find solace, whether your vote was tinged with red or blue. On Jan. 20, we will move forward, together, as a nation.