Dear Pomona College Community,
Election Day is upon us and the long election season is reaching its conclusion as we make our voices heard through the democratic process. I’d like to encourage all those who are eligible to vote today, if you haven’t already. As the Human Resources office reminded us last week, the state Voting Leave policy allows employees to take two hours off to vote if they cannot do so after work hours. If you need this time, please work with your supervisor as soon as possible to arrange it.
Four Pomona students will take a special interest as the votes are counted. They have been active this fall as leaders in the nonpartisan Claremont League of Women Voters, organizing voter registration drives, helping fellow students request absentee ballots and organizing letter-writing campaigns to swing-state voters. These members of the Class of 2026 are carrying on the proud Sagehen tradition of civic engagement and dialogue about important issues.
The 2024 election takes place at a time of extreme division in our country. Many have expressed the view that this is the most significant election in our lifetimes. Members of our community no doubt have a range of voting preferences. When the last vote is counted, some will rejoice in the outcome, while others will be strongly disappointed. Let’s remember to respect each other and practice kindness, even when emotions are high. Let’s also remember to be patient as the outcome may take days to be announced. You may find help in navigating post-election interactions through sessions this week that are part of our Year of Dialogue.
Last Saturday evening, our speaker for the annual Payton Distinguished Lectureship was Ambassador Susan Rice, a woman who has devoted her career to serving our nation, both as ambassador to the United Nations and as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. In her book Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For, she wrote these words: “I still believe that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, but nobody is going to do the hard bending, if not you and me.”
Each of us has a role to play in the pursuit of justice. By exercising our right to vote, we fulfill an essential role in preserving our democracy and helping to create what, in its preamble, our national Constitution calls “a more perfect union.” Thank you for acting with thoughtfulness and civility, no matter what the outcome may be.
Yours,
Gabi