October 19, 2020 (Monday)
As of today, our country has had 45 presidents. I have been alive during the terms of 15 of those: Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush41, Clinton, Bush43, Obama and Trump. So I have lived through the presidencies of one third of all our presidents.
The Declaration of Independence in 1776 marks the birth of our nation; therefore the United States of America is now 244 years old. We have grown to a population of between 325 million and 350 million people. Texas population is now 25 million — ten times as many people as the U.S.A. had in 1776. In some ways, this is the same nation we had 244 years ago; in other ways it is almost totally different.
We adopted a constitution which became the law of our land. As long as it is intact we have a secure foundation. Before its adoption, we added 10 amendments, the “Bill of Rights.” I believe it is safe to say that not a day goes by in the U.S.A. without mention of these ten amendments in common conversation, in courts of law, or in the daily news.
The president is not elected by popular vote. He or she is elected by the Electoral College. Each state contributes members to that group in a number equal to the number of Representatives and Senators in that state. Today’s total number of electors is 538. A majority of that number is 270, which determines the winner. Five times in our history people have been elected by electoral college without receiving a majority of the popular votes. Under this system, the people elect the electors in each state (although they may not realize that is what they are doing), then the states elect the president through the electors.
The battleground for the national election, therefore, is within the several states. When the electors cast their votes, Texas will have 38 votes, and under our system all 38 votes will go to the winner in our state. This system recognizes the primacy of the states in the election of a president.
Due to the pandemic, many people are choosing to vote by mail this year. Voters who use this method must submit an application for the ballot, then fill out the ballot and mail it in the approved method using official materials. In addition, many people will vote “absentee” in person which means they will not be present to vote on election day. And, of course, great numbers of people will vote at a polling place on election day.
Voting is our legal right and our voluntary duty. Let your voice be heard.
Click here to hear an original professional recording of the entire musical, “I Love America,” by John Peterson and Don Wyrtzen.
May it be a very happy day for you, Dan.